A Little History
ISSD is starting its 35th year of service. In September 1988, the first group of students attended the Persian classes at the All Hallows Catholic Church building in La Jolla. My predecessor— Mrs. Shahri Estakhry, with the help of a group of enthusiastic parents—established the Iranian School of San Diego.
Shortly after, they formed the Persian Cultural Center (PCC) as a nonprofit organization to expand cultural activities and better serve the Iranian American community. The rest is history. Almost 2,000 students have attended ISSD since 1988. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we had 280 students, in all levels, learning the Persian language and Iranian culture. For two years we managed all our classes virtually via Zoom. Last year we had 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 our own textbooks that have been used in many schools around the country. ISSD has its own teacher training program. 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.
PCC, our mother organization that just turned 34, 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, music concerts, plays, movies, etc.
In 2013, PCC with the help of the community purchased and established the Iranian American Center (IAC) that 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.
Ali Sadr – ISSD Principal
