Chicago Persian School

Des Plaines, Illinois

Serves students ages 2 to 17 as well as adults

16 teachers and 90 students

www.chicagopersianschool.org

youtube.com/chicagopersianschool

facebook.com/ChicagoPersianSchool

instagram.com/chicagopersianschool/

School Administrator

Negar Mansourian-Hadavi (Principal and Chair of the Board)
- info@chicagopersianschool.org
- 847-868-0577

Description

A registered not-for-profit organization since 2007, Chicago Persian School offers in-person and online Persian language and arts classes to interested children and adults, regardless of their race, religion, nationality, or ethnic background. As a non-religious, non-political hub for learning and networking, the school promotes the Persian language and culture by providing accessible, inclusive, and high-quality educational opportunities; creating relevant educational content; and forging community partnerships. Through various youth programming, the work of the Alumni Association, and the Parents Committee, the school uniquely blends language and cultural education with a critical focus on youth identity and belonging. Using modern pedagogical practices and a holistic curriculum, the school empowers students to become world-ready, culturally aware graduates. Students are accepted as young as age 2.

Program Features

Curriculum

Chicago Persian School utilizes novel research on bilingual education to complement the benefits derived from experiences gained through teaching Persian as a second language to diverse learners. The result is a holistic curriculum that uses evidence-based pedagogical practices enriched with hands-on art activities, learning games, and cultural events.

Teacher Training

The school has developed a rigorous and comprehensive teacher training program to ensure alignment of teaching methods with the program goals and expected learning outcomes. Teaching candidates are required to complete classroom observations at our school and a multi-stage teacher training program. Formal teacher evaluation and ongoing feedback are among the many ways we ensure quality of education, empowering teachers to deliver their best.

Engagement and Empowerment

The school offers a variety of social/cultural programming, tailored to different student age groups that strengthen the sense of belonging and engagement with the school community. The purposeful blending of cultural education and youth identity development has amplified the intellectual and social gains of our students and graduates.

A long list of high-impact enrichment activities includes field trips to the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Iranian dance workshops, family-friendly community work at local non-profits, talent shows, a workshop giving an introduction to Iranian traditional musical instruments, Iranian cooking competitions for kids, and workshops on Iranian folk games. These activities complement our comprehensive language curriculum, with a lasting impact on student and parent social/cultural engagement.

Assessment

The school assesses the effectiveness of the existing teaching methods and quality of the student experience through student and parent satisfaction surveys. These official surveys are done in addition to a continuous feedback loop between the school’s education director and the teachers, based on classroom observations. Assessment results empower discussions for improvement and brainstorming around innovative ideas.

Persian Langauge Classes

Ages 2 to 6

Designed to support the cognitive and social development of children while immersed in the Persian language, through Persian children’s songs, stories, age-appropriate group activities, crafts, and games.

Ages 7 to 14

Seven levels of Persian Immersion classes offer an engaging curriculum with a well-balanced emphasis on the four language acquisition skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Every learning opportunity is enhanced with interactive games, hands-on activities, and multi-media learning tools.

Ages 14 to 17

Classes are tailored for adolescents who are interested in a quick introduction to the Persian language, while providing the option to focus on writing skills vs. speaking, an added bonus for college application and future careers.

Adults

Adult Persian language classes offer an equal emphasis on the skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing, starting from beginner through advanced. Our classes prepare adult learners to use the Persian language in real life through in-class drills, textbooks, and online resources.