Twin Cities native Nick Plummer moved to Costa Rica at the age of 19 and was inspired by the communal approach to child-rearing so prevalent in Latin American cultures. “Raising children is really a community activity and shared responsibility there, which really stood out to me as a stark contrast to what I saw in…
Category Archives: News
Spanish Blossoms at Immersive Child Care
A new Spanish immersion day care and preschool has opened on Madison’s West Side, offering children the chance to learn Spanish at the same time as English, starting when they’re infants and toddlers. At Casa de Corazón, children are immersed in a Spanish-speaking environment and have extended contact with a community of fluent speakers. According…
Podcast with Mary Ann O’Connell about Influence & Franchising
Influence takes different forms and has many applications. Founder and CEO of Casa de Corazón, Natalie Standridge, talks about developing a franchise program that has lasting positive effects that influence children’s development and franchisees’ lives slowly and methodically with good results for the franchisees and don’t vary from the brand values. Mary Ann and Natalie focused on…
NEW Communication Resource Available!
Communication is a very important part of a great child care center. With good communication, teachers can do their jobs better, directors can create transparency, owners can establish trust, and relationships can be built. It is known that when parents and teachers form partnerships, children are more successful in their educational careers. One of the…
Best Franchises in 2020
We are honored to be a part of Aspioneer’s Best Franchises in 2020! We just opened our third franchise and are excited to expand into more communities to build brighter futures for children. “I love partnering with other entrepreneurial spirits who want to be in business for themselves, but not by themselves. I share what…
When Should Your Child Start School?
Many parents struggle with determining the appropriate age for their child to start their educational journey. Determining whether a child is ready for school or not is a big decision, especially between the ages of 3 and 5. While there’s no compulsory school age, most states require children to be at least five years old…
Intercultural Competence for Teachers in Spanish Immersion Bilingual Education in Minnesota, USA. Case: Casa de Corazón
The relevance of the interculturality of the bilingual education program of Casa de Corazón (2002-2020) is validated, in its initiatives for the continuous training of its teachers, based on what is supported by Ipiña (1997) and UNESCO (2017). This research presents a series of coincidences in the framework of the intercultural competence of teachers and…
Four Twin Cities-Based Franchises to Watch
Twin Cities Business listed Casa as one of the Four Twin Cities-Based Franchises to watch! We are honored to be featured alongside CRISP & GREEN®, FACE FOUNDRIÉ®️ and Bubbly Paws Dog Wash! We can’t wait to see what this year holds for Casa. Not only are we expanding into the Rochester market but we are actively looking to expand…
How to Help Relieve Young Children of Stress & Worry During These Times
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many families’ lives, with parents experiencing unemployment, financial stress, and the loss of loved ones. All of these stressors affect children, too, so it’s no surprise that many kids have been dealing with anxiety in the wake of the pandemic. It’s estimated that 30% of children experience anxiety, which typically…
New Spanish immersion daycare center’s proposed site plan up for approval
“A new Spanish immersion daycare is in the works for Rochester near the country club manor neighborhood. It’s called the Casa de Corazón daycare center and it’s proposed site is on 2-acres located near W. Circle Dr. and Hwy 14. Casa de Corazón would be an 11,000 square foot single-story building with a 24 space parking…
Hidden Gems: Meet Natalie Standridge of Casa de Corazón
Natalie has been working in the field of Early Childhood education since 1999 and began her now multi-location program in 2002. Prior to her work experience she graduated with honors from the University of Minnesota receiving a bachelor’s degree in Family Social Science, a minor in Spanish, and an area of emphasis in cultural youth…
Natalie Standridge Recognized as University of Minnesota Distinguished Alumni
Founder & CEO, Natalie Standridge, was recently recognized by the University of Minnesota as a Distinguished Alumni! Her parents, Jon and Nancy, came to town from Madison to attend the event and show their support. She met the Dean of the College of Education and Human Development, Michael Rodriguez, and realized that they had a connection dating…
The Benefits of Dual-Language Development in Early Childhood Education
“In this episode of The Preschool Podcast we discuss the benefits of language immersion in early childhood education with Natalie Standridge, founder and CEO of Casa de Corazón, an intercultural Spanish immersion early childhood development program that serves children ages birth to pre-k in the Minnesota and Wisconsin area, and is expanding nationally through franchising. Natalie…
Casa de Corazón expanding Spanish-immersion childcare centers to other U.S. markets
Four years after turning to franchising to expand her Spanish-immersion child-care centers, Casa de Corazón founder and owner Natalie Standridge is fielding inquiries from interested parties to bring the centers beyond the Twin Cities.
Kid-Friendly Avocado Dishes!
Our very own Kelly Peterson spoke with WCCO-TV | CBS Minnesota this morning about a few kid-friendly avocado recipes from Casa in honor of National Avocado Day!