- Spanish on the Fly, founded in 2024, is expanding its language schools across Northern Kentucky.
- The program offers Spanish classes for all levels, themed workshops, corporate training, and new English programs.
- Expansion aims to better serve the community and provide accessible, practical language learning opportunities.
When Lori Wall opened Spanish on the Fly in 2024, she aimed to provide affordable Spanish language instruction to people throughout Northern Kentucky.
Fast forward one year, and Wall is expanding her business into Boone and Campbell County, demonstrating a growing appetite for her teaching. Wall, a professional with more than 20 years of experience in language instruction, launched the first brick-and-mortar school in August 2024 at 311 Elm St. in Ludlow.
Spanish on the Fly offers three levels of instruction, ranging from beginners to those seeking conversational refinement. The program includes small-group classes, individual tutoring, and themed workshops focusing on practical language skills for scenarios like travel, business, and daily conversation. Besides classes, Spanish on the Fly provides corporate training programs, which have been utilized by organizations such as Duke Energy, Cengage and Cincinnati Children’s, among others.
Melissa Ibarra, a Spanish teacher at Spanish on the Fly’s Campbell County school, said the business’s language programs are a positive influence on the community, giving people the opportunity to challenge themselves while engaging in an enriching activity.
“There’s always been a large community of Spanish speakers in our country,” she said. “I think it just gives you awareness of other people’s struggles to learn a language. You can come alongside and you can learn what it’s like to be on the spectrum, as far as just trying to be able to communicate.”
Since starting the business, Wall told LINK nky that the space in Ludlow has been sufficient, but she can only teach one class at a time due to space constraints. This prompted her to seek expansion to better serve her growing client base.
“Immediately, I felt like I needed to be in other counties, because people that come to me from Florence, they might have to leave their homes an hour in advance because they don’t know what traffic is going to look like to get here,” she said. “It just seemed like that’s the way I needed to go.”
Her Campbell County school, located at 2304 Alexandria Pike inside the Southgate Conference Center, kicks off in September. She intends to open her upcoming Boone County school in Florence at 7536 US-42, Suite 7, the same site as FIESTA NKY, a nonprofit organization serving the Hispanic community of Northern Kentucky.
Wall mentioned she is currently interviewing teachers for the Boone County school, although no official opening date has been announced yet.
Along with Spanish on the Fly’s expansion, the school now offers English language programs designed for fluent Spanish speakers who want to learn English as a second language. Wall said the idea originated after being approached by several businesses that wanted to upskill their employees.
“They (local businesses) want to keep them and in order for them to progress, they’re going to need to increase their English levels,” she said.
For Wall, the growth of Spanish on the Fly reflects more than business success; it’s a way to continue bridging cultural and linguistic gaps across Northern Kentucky.
