ISSD In-Person Classes

ISSD In-Person Classes

ISSD Online Classes

ISSD Online Classes

Registration for ISSD’s academic year 2023-2024 is online during the entire month of August.

In-person Classes will start on Sunday, September 10, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon. The extra-curricular classes of dance, music, theater and drawing will be from 12 noon to 1 p.m.

The classes will be held at Mt. Carmel High School, located at 9550 Carmel Mountain Road, San Diego, California, 92127.

Online classes for students who cannot attend the physical classes, including those from other geographic areas. These classes are tentatively scheduled for Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 noon or Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m.

ISSD is accredited by all local school districts, which means that high school students can take Persian language at ISSD to fulfill their second language requirement. These students should obtain their specific language form from their high schools and send them to issd@pccsd.org before September 10, 2023.

These are the classes offered at ISSD:

  • Pre-K classes for 5-year-old students.
  • Kindergarten classes for 6-year-old students.
  • Persian language classes from Persian 1 (P-1) through Persian 6 (P-6), for 7-year-old and older students. Each level takes one year to complete.
  • Persian language classes for adults, beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
  • Extracurricular Activities: Persian Dance (for ages 5 to adult), Persian Music, Theater, Acting and Art Creation, Drawing and Painting, and Persian Conversation. Classes meet once a week on Sundays from 12 to 1 p.m.

General Notes:

  • ISSD will provide textbooks, notebooks, and folders for all students. The materials will be distributed in the classrooms. If you are attending the online classes, you can either obtain materials from the Iranian American Center (6790 Top Gun Street #7, San Diego, CA 92121) or they will be mailed to your address.
  • The tuition for all Persian classes is $600 for the entire year. There is a $50 registration fee that would make you a member of Persian Cultural Center.
  • Tuition for the Dance class is $350 and for other extracurricular classes is $250.

ISSD is accredited by WASC (Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges), San Diego Unified School District, Poway Unified School District, San Dieguito Union High School District, and others

Iranian School: A Success Story

A short look into the largest Iranian School outside of Iran, based in San Diego, California.

A Little History

In September 1988, with the invitation of Shahri Estakhri and Mozayan Bagherzadeh, the first group of students attended the Persian classes, and the Iranian School of San Diego was born.

Shortly after, with the help of a group of enthusiastic parents—they formed the Persian Cultural Center (PCC) as a nonprofit organization to expand cultural activities and better serve the Iranian American community. So far, almost 2,000 students have attended ISSD. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we had 280 students, at all levels, learning the Persian language and Iranian culture. For two years we managed all our classes virtually via Zoom. Since 2021, we are having both in-person and virtual classes. Our online students are from many parts of the country.

ISSD has been a pioneer in teaching Persian as a heritage language. We have created textbooks that have been used in many schools around the country. ISSD has its teacher training program. We have over twenty passionate, dedicated, and experienced teachers. Our Persian Language Program is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and by all local school districts. High school students can take Persian at ISSD to fulfill their second language requirements.

The Persian Dance Academy, as a part of ISSD, has been teaching Iranian folk dances and performing dances at various cultural events. Students of ISSD celebrate major cultural events such as Nowruz, Mehregan, and Yalda.

PCC, our mother organization has grown as well. Peyk (peykmagazine.com), our bi-lingual cultural magazine, reaches thousands of readers around the world. PCC has presented hundreds of cultural events, poetry nights, movies and discussions, Jong e Farhangi, music concerts, plays, etc.

In 2013, PCC with the help of the community purchased and established the Iranian American Center (IAC) which has been the home for the community by hosting many cultural gatherings. In the past 34 years, ISSD along with PCC have become two of the most successful cultural organizations outside of Iran. That by itself is a great cause for celebration.

Learning Persian is not the ultimate goal for us. It is just a tool. Along with cultural activities and creating a happy and friendly environment, we help students to find a sense of belonging and their own identities.

Through tuition payments, various fundraising efforts, and hundreds of hours put in by volunteers, ISSD is a self-sufficient entity. We have no religious or political affiliation. Our success would not have been possible without the support of the parents and the Iranian American community.

ISSD has prepared a six-volume set of textbooks based on the latest findings of academia on “heritage language” teaching and our own hands-on experience in the past 35 years. These books are currently being used in several schools around the country. They are available for purchase for schools or individuals. Audio versions of the lessons are also available on the ISSD website.

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