Highly Qualified Staff - Un Mundo de Amigos Preschool

Our Caring Staff at UMDA

We are committed to providing a world-class preschool education to children living in underserved areas within the City of Long Beach.

Laurie Petersen

President & CEO

Laurie has held key management positions with not-for-profit organizations for over 30 years. In addition to her professional background, Laurie has participated on several highly impactful boards, including Vice Chair of Antioch University Los Angeles, current Co-Chair of the Long Beach Mayors Fund for Education, and a member of the Munzer Task Force. She is also a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) working with teenagers. For the past 15 years, Laurie has focused her time and skills to providing free preschool for children ages 2 through 5 in Long Beach. She is the founder of Un Mundo de Amigos Preschool with two locations serving over 150 children per year in one of the highest need areas in Los Angeles County. Laurie continues her commitment to addressing social injustice and underserved populations through the development of a third campus scheduled to open in 2023. Laurie graduated from Antioch University and has a master’s in Business Administration from Pepperdine University. She is a visionary and a tireless champion for children and families.

Elisa Coburn

Executive Director

Elisa has spent the last 30 years working in early childhood education. She has worked in a number of public and private early childhood programs, both in the classroom and at the administrative level, to foster community among children, families and staff and connecting people through shared interests and divergent backgrounds. Elisa continues to support early childhood programs and educators as a child development consultant and mentor. In addition, Elisa has taught child development and administration at West Los Angeles College, Santa Monica College and American Jewish University. Elisa earned her B.A. in Child Development, with a minor in Business Administration and her M.A. Ed in Early Childhood Education. Elisa was born and raised in Los Angeles and is the mother to two daughters.

Highly QualifiedLead Teachers

Un Mundo de Amigos Preschool Lead Teachers hold a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, as well as a Site Supervisor Permit, issued through the State of California. Our Teachers have 24 or more units in Early Childhood Education, as well as a Child Development Teacher Permit. We employ highly qualified, CPR and First Aid certified teachers and have a 1:8 ratio. All employees go through a thorough background check and receive clearance, at the state and federal level, to work with children.