¡Hola! I am Mara Vidal, I was born and raised in Havana, Cuba, where I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater from University of Arts of Cuba (Instituto Superior de Arte). I then traveled to Mexico City to complete a Master’s Degree in Art History from the Ibero-American University (Universidad Iberoamericana).

In 2004, I moved to Austin to start my life as a Spanish teacher. For many years I have taught Spanish through art, theater, music, and movements, while traveling to a variety of Montessori schools, learning centers, public schools, churches and particular houses in the Austin Area.

In January of 2011, I decided to put together all my passion and experience and created Olas. Olas Spanish Immersion School is a 100%  Spanish Immersion play-based experience that combines many types of philosophies of instruction. Montessori education is our strongest influence, due to its alternative outlook on teaching and the ultimate respect for infancy.

Olas’ primary objective is for students to become fluent in an environment full of games, culture, laughter, music, literature, and friendliness. We nurture children to become culturally curious, self-confident, and globally minded.

One of the best things about Olas is the “family feel”. Several of our current teachers have been a part of our school since we started in 2011. These amazing teachers were caregivers for the first toddler class we had. Children from this class are currently in our Middle School Program.

In the beginning, our curriculum was focused on younger kids, but it has grown up with them and with their needs. Today, Olas Spanish is a school for ALL AGES and levels, and we are proud to say that we have helped hundreds of families in Austin discover the magic of the Spanish language and the Hispanic culture. We make students enjoy learning Spanish according to their age and pace. Every single day we witness amazing results!