The importance of being diverse
MEd alum brings a holistic approach to her Spanish immersion early learning center
Since she was young, Karina Elze (MEd ’16) always wanted to have her own business. “I love creating, taking risks, and I get bored if I stay in the same position too long,” she says. For the last six years, she has been living this goal as the founder of Academia Elze, a Spanish immersion early learning center located within the Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis.
“I wanted to create a childcare center with a diverse student body,” she says. “I noticed that early childhood education often lacks this diversity in Minnesota. I wanted to create an environment where families benefit from being around people who speak different languages and come from different economic backgrounds.”
Originally from Colombia, Elze is the first in her family to attend college. She was working as an assistant teacher at Emerson Dual Language Elementary School in Minneapolis when she was selected for the first cohort of CEHD’s Grow Your Own Teacher program. The program, in the Multiple Pathways to Teaching Office in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, offers a combined master’s degree and teaching licensure options. After completing the intensive program, Elze taught kindergarten for a while before making the leap to start her own childcare center.
Students engage in a fun activity at Academia Elze. (Photo courtesy of Academia Elze)
Since its grand opening in the summer of 2018, Academia Elze has seen a steady rate of success. “My plans are to maintain high quality and foster long, close relationships between the school and families during the crucial early childhood years,” Elze says. “I want to keep classroom ratios small, and the environment of Academia Elze personalized and warm. While I’m not opposed to growing my business, I am content with a small childcare center where it’s easier to address each child’s needs and provide individualized support.”
Elze used her experience working with youth at an individual level to write a children’s book, Christmas Without a Fireplace. “My book emerged from the idea of creating a realistic fiction genre about celebrations,” she says. “Working in a diverse school with various religions and beliefs, I wanted a book that teaches children to respect and celebrate differences without imposing their beliefs on others.”
The central question of the book is whether Santa is real or not. The main character, a child living in a city, celebrates with different neighbors and ultimately decides for herself whether Santa is real. “Each page features a different celebration, deconstructing stereotypes in the pictures but not in the text and represents friends and family members I’ve had at different points in my life,” Elze says.
Left: Karina Elze with her book, Christmas Without a Fireplace. Right: Elze’s business and brand extend to her online presence on Instagram. (Photo courtesy of Academia Elze)
Bringing disparate elements together is essential to a strong educational foundation, Elze believes. “It is important to include in our curriculum learning how to breathe; interacting respectfully with others; creating art; and understanding geography, social studies, financial literacy, cooking, movement, your emotions, and nutrition,” she says. “We often think we’re advanced because of technology, but we sometimes forget the basics of education. That’s one reason I started my own school, where I can integrate a holistic curriculum. It’s essential that early childhood education involves contact with nature, art, languages, mindfulness, and breathing and movement techniques to give children a great start in life.”
Looking forward, Elze says she sees herself increasingly embracing a holistic approach in both her life and business. “I believe it’s the key to fostering a more balanced, healthy, and fulfilling life for both children and adults,” she says.
For her achievements, Elze received CEHD’s Rising Alumni Award in 2021. “CEHD taught me the importance of not pushing myself too hard,” she says. “Completing my master’s in one year was challenging, and after that, I learned to take my time and enjoy the journey to reach my goals.”
—KEVIN MOE
Follow Academia Elze on Instagram: @academiaelze
(Karina Elze photograph by Tj Turner)