From Wheels to Classroom

In Central Florida, Start Bright Learning Center serves students in kindergarten through 5th grade. Centered in a belief that children learn “in their own time and in a loving environment”, Valeria Oquendo started the microschool in Kissimmee in 2021 as a tutoring service in a bus, a true “class on wheels”.

The initial focus of the program was tutoring struggling learners. Oquendo says “we quickly saw how a thoughtfully-designed, engaging learning environment could transform a child’s ability to grasp new concepts and rebuild motivation.” Start Bright prioritizes helping students learn awareness of their emotions to “open gates in life”, and it is a bilingual environment where students spend time creating with their hands through projects and play. 

The mobile classroom became a success after three years of growth, learning, and perseverance. Many students thrived with tutoring in the mobile classroom setting even if their struggles continued in the conventional classroom setting, an experience that reinforced a belief held by educators across multiple models: environment plays a powerful role in learning. As demand grew for the service, they began serving homeschool families outside the mobile classroom, leading “mini-pods” of up to three students while providing the personalized, joyful learning experience Start Bright had become known for.

Eventually, Oquendo and her team decided to rent space and expand their footprint, and they now provide mobile and in-class learning with a continued focus on imagination and creativity. They value the flexibility to teach children where they are and at their own capacity. 

When Oquendo reflects on the first months and years of launching Start Bright, she says “building a one of a kind educational model without a blueprint meant learning through trial and error and constantly adapting logistics to meet family expectations while sustaining a functional business.” As she persevered, the mobile classroom evolved into a space where students felt inspired and knew they could explore with curiosity and joy, and pause to notice and enjoy small, meaningful details.

Oquendo advises new microschool leaders to “enjoy the process. It might seem hard but with the right mindset and tools, it is possible. Trust your hearts and continue with the journey because it’s worth it.”

Oquendo wants Start Bright to be known for being cheerful, welcoming, loving, and people driven. The school’s ability to contribute to their community with toy drives and events as they have grown into their larger location is a huge success in her eyes. She believes in the necessity of trust within the community, and Start Bright builds that trust on a daily basis by helping students flourish academically and personally no matter where they are. 

Learners and families share that they enjoy having a school that treats them like family members, and they are grateful to have caring teachers and educators who practice patience and compassion. Although not all Start Bright students fit the same educational mold, they  appreciate the opportunity to learn in the flexible, caring environment. “Hearing students say, ‘When I grow up, I want to buy a van and be a teacher on wheels’” is deeply heartwarming and affirming,” says Oquendo.