Our Team
Teresa Romero, Regional Director
Teresa, affectionately known as Ms. Tere, was born in New York, yet her heart resonates strongly with her Salvadorian roots. Moving to El Salvador at a young age presented the challenge of adapting to an all-Spanish school, fostering her bilingual skills, and deepening her connection to Salvadorian culture.
Returning to the U.S. at the age of 18, she aimed to embrace American culture while cherishing her Salvadorian connection. Teresa adores exploring different cultures, especially El Salvador, her cherished home. Dance, travel, and hitting the gym are her passions. Happily married for 16 years, she's a proud mom to Diego and relishes every moment spent with her family.
Teresa's journey into childhood education was unexpected. Joining the Child Development Associates program to support a friend turned into a delightful plunge into the world of education. Set to complete her associate degree in early childhood education in December 2023, she aims to pursue a bachelor's degree next.
Working with young explorers in Early Childhood Education is her calling. Providing tools for their holistic development across all areas is immensely rewarding. She takes pride in guiding their daily progress, fostering an age-appropriate learning environment, and celebrating their achievements. Children, the future torchbearers, deserve every tool for academic growth, a responsibility she holds dear as an educator.
Teresa's tenure at Bambini Centers, starting as a teacher at Bambini Federal Triangle in 2018, has been marked by progression. From Co-Director at Bambini Golden Triangle in 2021 to Co-Director at the NoMa location since 2022, and most recently, being promoted to Executive Director in 2023, she has cherished working with an exceptional team. Her commitment involves offering the best tools to their teachers, empowering them to achieve their educational and professional aspirations.
She takes immense pleasure in supporting teachers and families to ensure their journey at Bambini is as enriching as possible.
Mrs. Silvina Hopkins,
Founder & Advisor
Mrs. Hopkins supports and advises on the curriculum, community relations and leadership of the schools. She even has an adoptive daughter, Natalia, who is a proud graduate of Bambini!
Mrs. Hopkins is a native of Argentina. She holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology obtained in 1994, and she is fully licensed to work as a Professional Counselor in the Commonwealth of Virginia and in Washington, DC. Until the opening of Bambini, she had a busy psychotherapy practice where she provided services to children, teenagers, and their families. Mrs. Hopkins has a strong educational background as well as vast experience in child development and parenting- related matters.
In addition to her extensive experience as a child psychotherapist, Mrs. Hopkins worked as a teacher and assistant director in child development centers in Argentina and in the United States.
Our Teachers
We believe that teachers are at the center of a successful childcare program. In an industry where the work is incredibly demanding every day, we prioritize the well-being of our teachers above all else because it translates into the well-being of the children under their care. We value our teachers as true early child development professionals, treating them with the respect they deserve. In addition to offering competitive pay, we have partnered with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) as a founding participant in the DC Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund (PEF). The PEF is a compensation program aimed at aligning early educators' minimum salaries with those of DC Public School (DCPS) teachers, in line with their skills and credentials.
Beyond pay, we provide our incredible team with benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid vacation and sick leave, sponsored education programs, career coaching, transportation benefits, and, most importantly, a positive and caring work environment. We believe that happy and motivated teachers who love what they do make all the difference, and you can feel that difference at Bambini as soon as you walk into a classroom.
Additionally, we earnestly work to limit our class sizes as a differentiator because we believe that a small class of students and a low student-to-teacher ratio are more conducive to an effective learning environment.
Lastly, all the instructors we hire are native-level Spanish speakers because the Bambini program emphasizes proper pronunciation and exposure to various aspects of Latin culture.