A Brief 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, in all levels, learning Persian language and Iranian culture. For two years we managed all our classes virtually via Zoom. Since 2021, we have 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. 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 discussion, Jong e Farhangi, music concerts, plays, 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.
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.
Iranian School of San Diego is Getting Ready for its 36th Year of Service In Person and Online Classes
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.
In addition to the regular in person classes, ISSD will continue to offer online classes for students who cannot attend the in person classes, including those from other geographic areas. These classes are tentatively scheduled for Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or Sundays from 2 to 4:30 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:
Persian Language Classes: Meeting Sunday mornings at Mt. Carmel High School or online
• 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.
• For tuition and additional information, please go to issd.pccsd.org.
Should you have any questions, please contact us at (858) 552 9355.
