ADMISSIONS
Every Family Belongs Here.
We welcome Spanish-speaking families who want their children to grow and deepen their home language and non-Spanish speaking families ready to give their child a bilingual head start.
Credentialed Programs
Our educational programs value creativity, play, social-emotional learning, language development, and fostering friendships.
How to Apply
Everything you need to know to get started.
Tuition & Fees
Transparent pricing, flexible scheduling, and Child Care Subsidy accepted.
Schedule a Tour
The best way to understand what makes us special is to see the Learning Center for yourself.
FAQs
Answers to the questions families ask us most.
Every Program is Built for this moment in your child's life.
Our curriculum is grounded in evidence-based pedagogical research, specifically designed to leverage the critical period of brain development for seamless language acquisition.
Every activity is developmentally sequenced to meet the social, emotional, and cognitive needs of preschool-aged learners, building the academic foundation, emotional skills, and bilingual fluency that set children up for kindergarten and beyond.
Spanish Lab and Learning Center is led by Mariela Formiconi and Celeste Diaz, native Spanish speakers and credentialed early childhood educators with over 45 years of combined experience.
Mariela is a former Dual Language teacher in Harrisonburg City Public Schools and Celeste holds multiple certifications in the Early Childhood Education field. Together, they lead a team of qualified educators who bring deep care and unique experience to the center every day.
Meet Our Directors
Mariela Formiconi - Program Director
Celeste Diaz - Assistant Program Director
Mariela brings more than thirty years of experience in education to Spanish Lab and Learning Center, including over a decade in early childhood and years as a Dual Language teacher in Harrisonburg City Public Schools. She is a native Spanish speaker whose deep knowledge of language acquisition and child development shapes every aspect of our program.
Mariela is in and out of the classroom every day — not just as an administrator, but as an educator who genuinely loves what she does and the children she serves.
Celeste brings over fifteen years of formal childcare experience and holds multiple certifications in the Early Childhood Education field. She is a native Spanish speaker and a warm, consistent daily presence at the center — known by families for her care, her calm, and her genuine investment in every child.
Together, Mariela and Celeste have built more than a preschool. They have built a community.
Credentials & Licensure
- Licensed by the State of Virginia
- State-approved curriculum
- Child Care Subsidy vendor
- Directors hold degrees and certifications in Early Childhood Education
- Native Spanish-speaking leadership
- Serving Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, and surrounding communities including Bridgewater, Dayton, Elkton and beyond
We'd Love to Meet Your Family
Come see what makes the Spanish Lab and Learning Center so special for yourself. Get in touch and we can schedule a tour.