About Language Garden
To provide accessible, interactive, and joyful language and cultural education for learners of all ages — rooted in play-based curriculum and real-world experiences that open minds and
build bridges.
Mission
A community where every person’s background, history, and lived experience is respected, honored, and celebrated — and where authentic human connection is the foundation of how we learn and grow together.
Vision
Curiosity · Joy · Kindness
These aren’t just words on a wall. They shape every lesson, every interaction, and every space we create.
Values
Meet Kylie Gottschalk
Founder, Executive Director, & Teacher
The Language Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2025.
Profe Kylie has been learning and teaching languages in the U.S. and Latin America for over 15 years and she started her language-learning journey like most midwestern students: taking a required foreign language class in high school. She quickly realized how much she enjoyed the classes and wanted to pursue the subject further.
Her expertise and passion deepened while attending the University of Northern Iowa and earning her degree in Spanish. She studied abroad for a semester in Costa Rica and lived in the capital city, San Jose, with a local family while taking classes at a nearby university. This led to years of solo trips around Latin America to work towards becoming bilingual and learn as much as possible about Latino and Hispanic culture.
These experiences also sparked her interest and passion in understanding the sociolinguistic aspects of language and using language learning as a tool to build intercultural appreciation.
Credentials:
Bachelor of Arts, Spanish | University of Northern Iowa
Certificate, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) | Costa Rica TEFL
Certificate, Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language (TSFL)| Costa Rica TEFL
Master of Science, Leadership and Talent Development | Drake University
She also has mandatory reporter training, current Iowa and FBI background checks, and liability insurance. Copies of these can be provided upon request.