Exploring Innovative Early Learning Dual Immersion Programs: A Visit to Pinewood Avenue and Telfair Avenue Early Education Centers
In March, Early Edge’s Executive Director Patricia Lozano and Senior Policy Analyst Mirel Herrera had the privilege of visiting two Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Early Learning programs that are making a significant impact in their communities: Pinewood Avenue Early Education Center and Telfair Avenue Early Education Center. Both schools are addressing the unique cultural and educational needs of their students through dual immersion programs, special education support, and engaging learning environments.
Pinewood Avenue Early Education Center: A Dual Immersion Armenian Program
At Pinewood Avenue Early Education Center, the Early Edge team had the opportunity to visit a dual language program that recognizes and nurtures the cultural and linguistic heritage of the community. The school’s dual language Armenian program provides young learners with the opportunity to develop strong language skills in both English and Armenian. This ensures that children not only acquire proficiency in English but also retain and develop their home language, fostering bilingualism and biliteracy from an early age.
This program is especially significant in Los Angeles, home to one of the largest Armenian populations in the United States. By integrating Armenian language instruction into the curriculum, the school is not only supporting academic achievement but also validating students’ identities and experiences—affirming that their language and culture are valuable assets.
What makes the program stand out even more is the strong sense of community that surrounds it. Families are deeply involved in the school, and the program has become a source of pride and connection. Parents shared with us firsthand how meaningful it is for their children to learn in their home language and see their culture reflected in the classroom. For many, the program represents more than just language instruction—it is a powerful way to preserve their heritage and ensure it is passed down to the next generation. Pinewood Avenue stands as an example of how schools can serve as cultural hubs, uplifting communities and empowering students through inclusive and responsive education.
Families of Pinewood Avenue Early Education Center: parents reflect on their children’s positive experiences in the program.
Parent Sareen Khodabaskshi’s 4-year-old daughter is in Pinewood’s preschool classroom, and is a Dual Language Learner in Armenian and English. She shares about her daughter’s transformation thanks to the program, both in her academic learning and social-emotional growth:
“She’s become such a different child, more open and more comfortable in her body and her skin especially with the Pinewood Early Start program. The teachers are amazing and the principal–I have just the best things to say about her. My daughter is a different person, since the day she started, which was at age two, and now she’s age four, she’s like a little adult. First she knows her different flags. She knows her [American] flag. She knows her Armenian flag. She knows her cultures. There’s different celebrations. And she could talk about it and share about it. And that just makes me excited and happy. I really do feel blessed to be part of the Pinewood community. I feel like ever since I found this program, it’s just been this community of love, safety, and education.”
Parent Karina Galustians’s 5-year-old daughter is in Pinewood’s Transitional Kindergarten and is a multilingual learner in English, Armenian, and Spanish. She shares about the ways in which her daughter is benefiting from learning all three languages, which are supported within the Pinewood program and at home, and why it’s so important for her child to have that:
“My daughter is trilingual and I speak to her in Spanish. My mom does, too. So just having that language in her and being also Armenian, you know, it’s very important because she will grow up to be able to communicate with different languages in the future and it’ll be easier for her to communicate, to find a job in general, and it’s very important to keep that as part of the heritage that I grew up with as well, being Hispanic. And seeing my daughter taking the same roots as well and speaking it with my mom or my grandparents, and also seeing her speaking it with my husband’s family, when she goes over, she knows that she will speak Armenian there. When she goes over to my mom’s house, it’s Spanish. So she knows how to transition both languages in both households, even at school. She has the Spanish to English, and the Armenian, so I’ve really tried to enforce that and keep it going, for her to know that it’s very important to keep that within her.”
Telfair Avenue Early Education Center: Supporting Language Development and Special Education Needs
The next stop was Telfair Avenue Early Education Center, another example of an Early Learning program tailored to meet the needs of its community. Telfair offers a dual language Spanish program designed to support bilingualism for young learners. Given the linguistic diversity of the community, this program allows students to develop fluency in both English and Spanish, ensuring they have the tools to succeed academically in their early years and beyond.
In addition to its language programs, Telfair is home to an Early Childhood Special Education program. This program provides a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where children with special needs receive the individualized support necessary for their growth and development.
One of the standout features of Telfair Avenue Early Education Center is its impressive outdoor learning and activity center. This space encourages hands-on, developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Children can engage in a variety of interactive activities that promote physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development.
Closing
The visit to Pinewood Avenue and Telfair Avenue Early Education Centers highlighted the importance of culturally responsive and inclusive early learning programs. Both schools are setting a high standard by recognizing the unique needs of their communities and implementing programs that support bilingualism, cultural identity, special education, and engaging learning environments.
These visits reinforced the importance of investing in early learning and programs that celebrate diversity and inclusion for all children.