We are excited to feature sponsor, Golestan School, in the spotlight today for a multicultural preschool through fifth grade education.
Golestan School strives to nurture students’ innate hunger for learning in a joyful, loving environment. Golestan integrates academics, nature, and language while inspiring curiosity and compassion in a multilingual environment. It is a school like no other you’ve ever seen before.
An International Baccalaureate Candidate school, Golestan immerses all elementary students in Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian secondary language tracks.
The first thing people notice when entering Golestan is the beautiful environment and genuine kindness radiating from its teachers and staff. From the smells that permeate from the kitchen and the music that plays in the halls, to the serene, calming, natural aesthetic, every detail has been curated with intention. Walking through the learning space, you will feel the care and intention that went into it.
The Golestan Preschool, a Persian language immersion school serving children aged 2 to 4.9 years, was the first preschool to be selected as an Ashoka Foundation changemaker school. The school was selected for serving as a model for cultivating empathy, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving.
The elementary school is a place where students nurture their love of learning and nature, their humanity, and their innate sense of justice. At the core of the program is the belief that every child is a changemaker who can be empowered to create positive change by being resourceful, kind, innovative, courageous, creative, and engaged.
Golestan integrates stringent academic standards with hands on, experiential learning by following the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum and adapting it to a unique transdisciplinary approach to teaching. All meals are prepared in-house from locally sourced, organic, and delicious ingredients (Learn more about the school’s food program).
Learn more about the Golestan elementary education difference >
Brief history of Golestan School
Born out of a weekly playgroup of a handful of Iranian-American families, Golestan was founded in 2006 as the first Persian language immersion preschool in the US. Today, Golestan continues to immerse students in a loving environment that challenges them physically and intellectually, and nurtures their sense of self in the context of their community and the larger world. The school’s unique pedagogy has become a model for other educators around the world.
What people are saying about Golestan
“The Golestan team’s personal attention and dedication to the wellbeing and thriving of every single child entrusted to them goes way beyond a school’s call of duty. It is a true testament to the unique depth of care and wholesome philosophy embodied by Golestan.” ~ Golestan parent of preschooler
“[my child] is really thriving… I see her being nurtured so beautifully by her teachers. Academically, socially, and emotionally, it’s insane how much she is learning. She brings her new skills home: social regulation tools, reading, math, designing models… What is most exciting to me is how much she loves what she learns. She doesn’t read or do math at home because she has to, she loves it and she wants to engage with it. She routinely gets paper and
pen out to work on addition and subtraction, and reads [every chance she gets.]” ~ Golestan parent of first grader
“We have found Golestan to be a key part of our family life over the last six years. The philosophy of the school really resonated with us. We wanted to raise our kids in a way that nurtured their minds and souls, given our modern world, and foster characteristics in them such as compassion, respect, and creativity. The teachers and other kids have become like another family to our kids. When I take my kindergartener for the after-school program, she often sighs when she arrives, saying ‘I love Golestan’.” ~ Parent of three Golestan students
Plan your visit to Golestan School
Open enrollment is happening for September 2020. Applications for TK – 3 are accepted and processed in the order they are received.
Website: www.golestankids.com
Address: 320 San Carlos Avenue, El Cerrito CA
If you have questions about enrollment please email [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsor, Golestan School.
[All photos provided by Golestan School and used with permission]
