Instructors: Janine Johnston-Somma & Consuelo Byrd
Janine Johnston-Somma founded ¡QUé VIVA! EL ESPAñOL as part of a lifelong journey to bridge differences and facilitate exploration of the unknown. A native Santa Fean, Janine has bachelors' degrees in Spanish Literature and Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology from the University of Colorado and a master’s in International Development Management from American University’s School of International Service in Washington, DC. In 1998 she studied at La Universidad Católica of Santiago, Chile and lived with a family whose two young girls taught her more than any other experience or person in Chile. Today, Janine is married to an Argentine. She speaks Spanish at home with her husband and two young daughters, and spends time in Argentina every year. In Dec. 2010, she completed LEVEL 7 at the International Bureau of Language in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Janine taught Spanish to adults at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada from Jan. 2008 through Sept. 2009. And taught children Spanish at The Paintin’ Place Cooperative Day Care in Waterloo, during the same period. Janine spent her first year out of undergraduate university teaching science to sixth grade students, many of who spoke mostly Spanish, in Denver, CO. A native of Santa Fe, she has traveled extensively and taught English in Vietnam and Nepal, as well as to immigrants in Santa Fe. Since 2001 Janine has worked on watershed restoration issues in Santa Fe, NM. She brings this understanding to her camps and lessons. Demonstrating reverence, joy and curiosity for nature, especially the river, is continuously integrated in her teaching. And her reverence for the curiosity of children in all aspects of life, including language learning, and the inherent strengths in each adult guide her teaching.
Consuelo D. Byrd was born and raised in Tabasco, Mexico. In 1996 she received her BS in Communications Science at Mexico’s Tepeyac University. Consuelo worked for six years as assistant producer and administrative coordinator of Telenovelas, Sports, Special Events, and News for Televisa, one of the world leaders in Spanish-speaking media. In 2002, she married and moved to the United States. She lived in Florida and then New Hampshire, where she began teaching Pre-K to 6 Spanish in public and private school systems. She taught privately as well as contracted for established companies, including Global Child and More than Spanish. In 2008 – 2009 she was part of the Hollis Montessori school, bringing her unique perspective in guiding the children to knowledge through discovery and encouraging them to apply it on their own. She developed group and individual educational models to facilitate the learning process. Consuelo, mother of two chicos, loves to teach children because it’s fascinating to see the world through their eyes. Her dedication and patience have earned her high praise from educators, parents and the children themselves.
¡QUE VIVA! EL ESPAñOL | 505.467.8393 | quevivaesp@gmail.com
