Omaha school offers Spanish-language computer literacy to address language barriers for Latino students

OMAHA, Neb. —

A private school in Omaha is helping Latino students build digital literacy skills by offering computer classes taught in Spanish — tackling both a technological gap and a language barrier.

Juan Carlos Garcia teaches computer classes at Academia Latinos Unidos, where students learn to work with electronics and the internet. Garcia says the shortage of Spanish-language instruction is what motivated him to step up.

"There is very little classes that are in Spanish...and because I'm fluent I translate and everything. I figured I could put that to use," Juan Carlos Garcia said.

Academia Latinos Unidos is a private school that also offers classes in other fields, including English and citizenship.

The school was founded by Wendy Blotcky, who immigrated from Peru in 2007 and moved to Omaha four years ago. She taught her first class in a Starbucks before opening the school. Since then, Blotcky says over 1,000 students have taken classes.

"Our academia, our culture is make people feel comfortable...make people feel like a house or family...that's what we want," Blotcky said.
When Blotcky began working in America, she wasn't fluent in English, and she says that cost her job opportunities. That experience is a big part of the reason she opened the school.

"If you don't invest in your education...you don't add value on your person," Blotcky said.

Blotcky says she is hoping to expand the school with additional offerings.

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