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Welcome to Escuelita
at DC Bilingual!

An immersive professional learning experience for schools ready to reimagine what’s possible.

At DC Bilingual, we believe in the power of sharing knowledge to strengthen education for all students.

Over the years, hundreds of educators and school leaders have visited DC Bilingual PCS, eager to learn from the school’s approach to building highly effective classrooms and systems grounded in both academic excellence and a deeply welcoming community. Just as we were supported on our own journey toward success, we feel a deep responsibility to help other schools grow, strengthen their practice, and thrive.

Escuelita is our next step in fulfilling that commitment.
(Pictured above) Daniela Anello, CEO, and Alina Thouyaret, Escuelita Program Director, pose with the participants of Escuelita's first cohort which welcomed teams from charters and a DC Public School.

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Introducing Escuelita

Escuelita is a new initiative designed and led by DC Bilingual CEO Daniela Anello and Escuelita Program Director and former Principal Alina Thouyaret that formalizes our approach to transformative professional development for school teams.

Escuelita offers immersive, hands-on experiences for school teams to reflect, align, and plan together, with the guidance of educators who’ve led successful school transformation.

What to Expect at Escuelita

Step into a dynamic learning environment and explore the intentional practices behind a thriving school community. During your Escuelita experience, you will:

✅ Observe the daily workings of a high-performing dual language school
✅ Engage in meaningful collaboration and strategy sharing with peers
✅ Leave with practical tools, fresh insights, and a clear plan to bring back to your school community
✅ Feel motivated, inspired, and invigorated to lead and strengthen your own school community

‍Escuelita is more than a professional development program—it’s a movement to uplift schools, educators, and the students they serve. We’re proud to share what we’ve learned and honored to learn from others along the way.

NOW LIVE - Upcoming 2026-2027 Sessions

Applications are now open for all 2026-2027 sessions!

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22
September
2026
S1: Building a Thriving School & Classroom Culture: 22-24 September (3 days)
9:00 AM
-
3:00 PM
Washington, D.C.
Learn more
20
October
2026
S2: Cultivating High-Impact Teacher Teams: 20-22 October (3 days)
9:00 AM
-
3:00 PM
Washington, D.C.
Learn more
17
November
2026
S3: High-quality reading instruction to support all learners: 17-18 November (2 days)
8:00 AM
-
3:00 PM
Washington, D.C.
Learn more
8
December
2026
S4: Building a strong and welcoming Bilingual School Culture: 8-10 December (3 days)
9:00 AM
-
3:00 PM
Washington, D.C.
Learn more
20
January
2027
S5: Reimagining Inclusion & Special Education Practices: 20-21 January (2 days)
9:00 AM
-
3:00 PM
Washington, D.C.
Learn more
17
February
2027
S6: Developing a strong foundation: the early childhood model: 17-18 February (2 days)
9:00 AM
-
3:00 PM
Washington, D.C.
Learn more
4
March
2027
S7: Transforming School Communication & Family Engagement: 4-5 March (2 days)
9:00 AM
-
3:00 PM
Washington, D.C.
Learn more
14
April
2027
S8: Creating school-wide operational systems to support student success: 14-15 April (2 days)
9:00 AM
-
3:00 PM
Washington, D.C.
Learn more

What We Offer

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2-Day or 3-Day Escuelita Experience
A fully designed, comprehensive, and immersive experience for school teams to observe, reflect, and learn alongside DC Bilingual educators.
  1. Classroom visits and live instruction observation
  2. Collaborative debriefs with teacher & instructional leaders
  3. Insight into our program design and implementation
  4. Opportunities to plan & transfer to impact your own organizations.
Half days / Full day tailored visits
Customized sessions designed to meet your organization or school team’s specific goals.
  1. Focused professional development aligned to your context
  2. Immersive school experience with opportunities to see DC Bilingual in action.
  3. Flexible topics (instruction, program design, leadership, etc.)
Coaching & Ongoing Support
Targeted coaching to support implementation and continuous improvement.
  1. Virtual or in-person coaching sessions
  2. Instructional and leadership support
  3. Customized to your team’s needs and goals
Additional Information
Targeted coaching to support implementation and continuous improvement.
  1. 2 & 3 day experiences: pricing reflects participation for school teams of 3–4 members.
  2. Tailored sessions: pricing reflects participation for up to 10 members.
  3. Larger groups or expanded engagements can be accommodated upon request
  4. Travel and additional customization may incur additional costs

Past Sessions

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April 9, 2026
Daniela Anello
Escuelita Rewind: Cultivating High-Impact Teacher TeamsRead More
April 2, 2026
Daniela Anello
Escuelita Rewind: Transforming School Communications & Family EngagementRead More
November 6, 2025
Daniela Anello
Escuelita Rewind: High-Quality Reading Instruction for All LearnersRead More
October 16, 2025
Daniela Anello
Escuelita Rewind: Building a Thriving School & Classroom CultureRead More
"I have been teaching and supporting teachers in the field of education for over 30 years and this is one of the best professional experiences I have participated in. The trajectory of the PD supported me to see all aspects of the work to understand the why, how, and what of teacher teams. The PD was filled with real school examples in action as well as excellent excavations of the teachers doing the work in the school. I highly recommend this to all school teams trying to strengthen their teacher teams."
"Escuelita is a program by schools, for schools about how to navigate the many twists and turns we face as educators. It is thoughtfully run, fully transferable, always relevant, and rich with resources. I highly recommend!!!"
"Mi equipo se va inspirado para trabajar y lograr realizar proyectos que mejoren nuestros resultados y nos hagan cada vez mas fuertes."
"Sometimes I feel I'm stuck in my work in my own school. Being able to step out of my role for 3 days just to listen, learn, think and plan with my school members just has a huge impact. The sparks I got at this experience are just valuable."

Interested?

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If you are not ready to apply or cannot attend the sessions above, please subscribe to our mailing list for updates and future opportunities with Escuelita.

What inspired us?

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As we invested more intentionally in shared learning experiences and cross-school collaboration, we were excited for the opportunity in 2021 to partner with the and support them with the transformation of Esperanza Academy into a 50/50 Spanish immersion school.

Over three years, we coached leaders and teachers, offered targeted training, and helped shape systems to support their dual language vision. The result? A thriving, unique school—the only one of its kind in the region—with overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff and leadership. This experience confirmed two key insights:
  1. There is a growing demand for the kind of programming and support DC Bilingual can offer.
  2. We have the tools and expertise to provide transformative professional development that improves classrooms and outcomes.

Fast forward to April 2025, we officially launched Escuelita with a powerful three-day pilot hosted on our campus. Educators from five DC schools—representing public charters and DCPS—joined us to explore strategies for building strong teacher teams that drive student success.

Participants observed live classrooms, engaged in structured collaboration, and walked away with actionable strategies, helpful tools, and a supportive peer network to sustain their work.

The Escuelita pilot, funded by , brought together educators, administrators, and leadership in a rare and meaningful cross-sector effort. Together, we’re building something bigger than training—we’re building a movement to strengthen schools through shared learning and community.

DC Bilingual Honored as 2024 National Blue Ribbon School

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DC Bilingual was recognized as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education, a prestigious award recognizing exemplary schools that are in the top 15% of all public schools on state assessments in reading & math and have the highest high school graduation rates.

Featured Courses

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Want to see the full list of our Courses? View Full Courses Overview →
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