Banu Valladares | Charlotte Bilingual Preschool

When Banu Valladares came to Charlotte to attend UNC from her native Venezuela, she was 17-years-old and she had no idea how much that decision would change her life.

“My dad offered to send me to the US for college I think to get me away from a bad relationship,” Banu says smiling. “I thought I knew was I was getting into.”

The thought of an international move did not phase her because Banu had travelled all over the world with her family. “My dad was from Spain and my mother was part German and part Venezuelan,” she said. “He took our family everywhere. He was like Chevy Chase in the movie ‘Vacation.’”

Banu laughs remembering one vacation that began in a rental car in Miami and her father then drove them to California and back—all in one month! As a tourist, Banu saw the best of the US, “We had money and spoke English,” she said. “I had no idea moving here would be such a shock—I lost both confidence and comfort.”

That loss came through unexpectedly losing her community. Banu never realized how her family of five was part of a much larger ecosystem. A family in Venezuela was not simply defined as the parents, their children and their dog. Her family unit was extended into relatives and neighbors who all were one large circle of care but coming to the United States was much different.

“I felt so uprooted, “ Banu remembers.

Feeling out of place in the southern culture of Charlotte and the UNC campus, Banu had no language for what she felt until an African American professor asked her, “What are you?”

Banu was confused—did the professor mean her gender?

“No, where are your people from!” the young woman said and when Banu told her Venezuela, the young women said, “Oh! You are Latina!”

That began a new understanding for Banu, both what it meant to belong and not to belong.

Upon graduation, Banu taught Freshman Composition at UNCC and had an opportunity to serve as a resident artist with a Latino Writer on tour in NC. She then became a teaching artist, making curricular connections for children through the arts. That lead to a career as an arts administrator at the Durham Arts Council then at the NC Arts Council. After 7 years of statewide impact, she wanted to learn how to directly impact communities, so she took a job with a literary nonprofit in Mississippi bringing the arts to remote areas. Banu bridged the gap between the white and black world who had, until then, separate presenting venues by bringing writers, poets, musicians and actors to shared spaces like hospitals and schools. Banu remembers the African American women there who taught her what a strong community of women leaders looked like.

After a year of impact, Banu returned to Charlotte because of her dad’s declining health and worked at the NC Humanities Council. Banu had no inkling that she would ever get into something like pre-school education until the race uprisings began in the summer of 2016. Coupled with the Chetty report about the lack of upward mobility, something began to stir inside Banu that she couldn’t quite name.

“I remember feeling really hopeless,” Banu said. “I went to Malaprop’s bookstore in Asheville and I remember finding a book called Radical Hope about why we shouldn’t lose hope even in the face of dire circumstances.”

Banu spoke with her friend Charles Thomas at the Knight Foundation and he encouraged her to “put into the universe” what she wanted. “I tried not to be too specific,” Banu said. “I just prayed to be put where I was needed. I wanted to serve.”

When a recruiter called asking if she knew anyone who might be great as the next Executive Director of the Charlotte Bilingual Preschool (CltBP), Banu surprised herself and the recruiter. “I actually went on a rant!” she says laughing. “I had so many opinions!”

After that rant, Banu realized, “It was me. The person for that job—it was me!”

Banu became the Executive Director in 2017 and she has been working to shift the community perspective both externally and internally. “We are not a precious pre-school, Banu says with conviction, “We are essential to this city.” 

Her beliefs go back to a particular religion class at UNC Charlotte which used The Intensive Journal Method by Ira Progroff, PhD. Incorporating both psychology and principles from Carl Jung, the program teaches that we are all born with potential and we can all bloom with the right nurturing. The question becomes, how do we remove barriers so each child can grow into  the full expression of who they were meant to be?

Banu is infusing the Charlotte Bilingual Preschool in that philosophy not only for the young learners but for their families as well. Remembering how it felt to be uprooted, Banu is focused on creating a strong community that recognizes the potential of every person CltBP touches.

Today that community is large and growing stronger. Over 464 individuals are served by CltBP which include a pre-school program, family programs and ParentChild+ home visiting programs. CltBP hires and trains families to create early childhood career pathways and tries to be sure their staff reflects the community they serve. One third of their team are current or alumni families. Banu and her board have developed a 10-year strategic plan to serve at least 1500 of the more than 3,000 Latinx children who enter CMS kindergartens.

This past year was particularly difficult for CltBP families whose parents are typically frontline service workers. Banu became very emotional talking about it, “They lost their jobs and they lost their ability to feed their families—it was devastating!” Because they are a community,

CltBP stepped in to help provide almost 12,000 meals and begin a grocery program with over 2,000 care boxes delivered.

Maybe most challenging of all—teaching preschoolers on Zoom especially when families did not have access to internet or computers. CltBP arranged for families to receive Chromebooks and hotspots so that the education could continue even in the pandemic.

Banu and her team recently held their annual fundraising event “Grandes Sueños/Big Dreams” virtually and it was full of the authentic Latinx flair and festivities. Local music group Bakalao Stars provided live music with videos of the preschoolers dancing to the Latin rhythms. It also included inspiring spoken word from Herrison Chicas, in a tear-provoking story of how the school community rallied when his brother was hit by a car and hospitalized.

It was a full demonstration of what Banu and her team are creating at Charlotte Bilingual Preschool. A vital, necessary part of the Charlotte community that reminds children and their families not only of who they are but who they can become, blooming into their full potential. 

Banu and this bilingual preschool community shows us all how stronger and richer we are together—one fabric with many beautiful threads.

If you want to see the 20-minute Grandes Sueños/Big Dreams video you can view it here

Or learn more about Charlotte Bilingual Preschool visit www.bilingualpreschool.org

Want to volunteer and be part of the community? Contact allie@bilingualpreschool.org

—Kathy

Kathy Izard is an award-winning author and speaker who helped bring transformation to Charlotte in homelessness, housing and mental health. Her first memoir,The Hundred Story Home, received a Christopher Award for inspirational nonfiction. Kathy’s children’s book, A Good Night for Mr. Coleman was written to encourage kids to dream big and do good. Her newest work of inspirational nonfiction, The Last Ordinary Hour, releases May 15, 2021. Kathy’s work has been featured on Today Show inspiring people to be changemakers in their communities.