By Raúl Gavarrette O.
By the end of 1992 the Escuela de Español Laguna de Apoyo – later in 1995 known as Escuela de Español Proyecto Ecológico Laguna de Apoyo- started operations. This school was opened by the McKaye family. Beverly McKaye a South African artist became its first Director. The McKaye family had arrived in Nicaragua for job purposes and scientist searches in early 1992 and having plans for living in the country, started searching for a language Spanish school to learn the language as they spoke English only. Since they did not find any school in the area and urged to learn how to speak Spanish, they went to Guatemala to take an intensive Spanish course in a very popular known school.
When they came back to Nicaragua, after their Spanish course in Guatemala, the McKaye family was very enthusiastic with the idea of starting a language Spanish School in Laguna de Apoyo and right after they returned to the country, they started preparation for that interesting project. Lorenzo López, Bismarck Calero, and Cándida López who were already working for the McKaye’s in many different jobs, were then trained by some Guatemalan experienced Spanish instructors brought from Guatemala by the McKaye’s family for an intensive training workshop.
Those three Nicaraguan who received the training workshop in the Laguna de Apoyo became the first three Spanish teachers in the Escuela de Español Laguna de Apoyo. In 1995 and following years some more teachers joined among them Professor Raúl Gavarrette who had worked for years as a language teacher in Universities in Managua and had been a pioneer in teaching one-to-one Spanish lessons in Managua along with Professor Fernando Rodríguez during the 1980´s. Raúl Gavarrette along with Bismarck, Cándida, Lorenzo and Beverly made a perfect team to lead the Spanish school as a successful language school in Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua. In the 90´s there were some European NGO´s in Nicaragua which brought volunteers to help villagers in projects in rural areas of the North of the country. Those large groups of volunteers from Europe, mostly from Denmark, Norway and Sweden came to this Spanish language school to learn some Spanish and enjoy the beauty nature of Laguna de Apoyo, the beautiful crater lake of pristine waters. The program was perfect since included lodging on site, international quality meals, Spanish instruction, and afternoon field trips around in the nature, and to nearby villages including Granada, and Masaya cities.
In 2009, the Spanish school located in Laguna de Apoyo managed lately by Jeffrey McCrary got apart from its former financial partner and founder Dr. McKaye, and started a spinoff program by himself in another location right next to the former Spanish school Proyecto Ecológico site.
McKaye family returned from the United States to Laguna de Apoyo in 2011, and re-opened the language school under a new name called Laguna de Apoyo Spanish School and Cultural Center. This updated Spanish school in Laguna de Apoyo was managed by enthusiastic and dynamic Donaldo Silva, a former Spanish teacher in Apoyo School.
Both of the above mentioned schools in Laguna de Apoyo closed permanently in 2016.
Since 2014, Instituto Lingüístico Inter-Cultural has been bringing students for the day combining Spanish instruction and field trips in Laguna de Apoyo, and in 2022, Instituto Lingüístico Inter-Cultural in partnership with Diving School started a water sport and Spanish lessons program and it is the only current school in operation in Laguna de Apoyo with professional, nice, and friendly teachers, and flexible relaxing schedule.
