Golestan Kids

What Golestan Kids does

Golestan Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 in El Cerrito, California, operating the first Persian language immersion preschool in the United States. The organization runs four integrated programs — preschool (ages 2-5), elementary school (K-5th grade, added in 2018), after-school enrichment, and summer camp — using an experiential, project-based curriculum that integrates Montessori, Waldorf, and Reggio Emilia philosophies. The elementary program is notable as the first to immerse all students in Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian alongside English, with curriculum aligned to Common Core and NGSS standards. Approximately 30 staff support the single campus, which features indoor/outdoor classrooms, organic gardens, and in-house meal preparation.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring tuition — $2,905/month for preschool and $31,588/year for elementary (2025-26 rates) — supplemented by summer camp fees ($625-$755/week), after-school program fees, and tax-deductible donations through the annual fund, named scholarship funds, and a capital campaign. Approximately 30% of students receive financial assistance through the Flexible Tuition Program administered via the Clarity platform. The go-to-market model is community-driven: admissions via campus tours, family interviews, and word-of-mouth referrals, with first-come-first-served preschool waitlists and annual January 16 elementary deadlines.

The organization also operates Golestan Colab, a wholly-owned pro-bono consultancy that has worked with over 100 communities globally to replicate its language-immersion and natural-playscape model, including schools in Nepal, Kenya, Canada, Cambodia, India, and Sri Lanka. Founder Yalda Modabber has served as Executive Director since 2008, and the advisory board includes high-profile Iranian-American entrepreneurs and executives (Ali Partovi of Code.org, Neda Nobari of bebe stores, Krista Bessinger of Twitter). Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Golestan Kids

Legal name

Golestan Kids

Website

https://golestankids.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Golestan Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the first Persian language immersion preschool and K-5 elementary school in the United States from a single El Cerrito, CA campus, serving Bay Area families through experiential, multilingual education and a global pro-bono consultancy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Language Immersion Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Language Schools (61163), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Language-Immersion Nursery & Playgroups (EDACACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Language Immersion Programs & Camps (Local/Seasonal) (EDAMAFAL)

Keywords

• Persian language education
• Early childhood education
• Language immersion preschool
• After-school programs
• Cultural heritage education

Headquarters

HQ city

El Cerrito

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition - Preschool: Monthly tuition payments for preschool program. Includes two healthy snacks and warm wholesome lunch prepared in-house daily. Non-refundable $1500 deposit upon enrollment applied to final month's tuition.
2. Tuition - Elementary School: Annual tuition payable in full by June 1 (with $190 discount) or in 11 monthly installments from May through April. Non-refundable deposit of 10% of annual tuition and $450 annual materials fee due upon enrollment.
3. Summer Camp Fees: Weekly camp fees at $625/week for standard hours (9am-3pm, includes lunch and 2 snacks) and $755/week with extended aftercare (3:00-5:30pm, includes 1 additional snack).
4. After School Program: After school enrichment program for K-5th grade with bilingual instruction. Persian Literacy Instruction available as opt-in at no additional cost.
5. Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) non-profit organization receiving tax-deductible donations through annual fund, scholarship funds (Farrokh Modabber, Minou Modabber), capital campaign, and corporate matching programs.
6. Flexible Tuition Program: Financial assistance program where tuition contributions are aligned with family financial situation. Applications accepted through Clarity platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Golestan Kids operates Persian language immersion programs for young learners, including a preschool, elementary school, after-school program, and summer camp, serving approximately 110 children through partnerships at its El Cerrito, California campus. The organization is staffed by roughly 30 educators and coordinators and is supported through a Colab initiative that provides pro-bono consultancy to other educators building parallel cultural and language programs. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2008, it combines direct educational service delivery with community- and educator-facing support.

Product overview

Golestan Kids is an educational non-profit organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs for children: a Persian language immersion Preschool, a K-5th grade Elementary School with project-based learning, an After School enrichment program, and a Summer Camp. The organization operates the Colab, a pro-bono consultancy that shares Golestan's educational approach with educators worldwide. Programs are grounded in experiential, hands-on learning with environmental stewardship, multilingual education, and empathy as core values. The organization also publishes the quarterly 'Rooted Kindness' magazine and produces the 'Golestan Stories' Persian audiobook. All programs are supported by a Flexible Tuition Program for financial assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Persian Language Immersion Preschool Preschool program teaching young children in Persian through an immersion model with low student-to-teacher ratios, designed for families seeking early heritage-language and cultural education.
• Persian Language Immersion Elementary School Elementary-level instruction delivered in Persian through immersion pedagogy, continuing the heritage-language pathway begun in the preschool and serving school-age children of families enrolled with Golestan Kids.
• After-School Program After-school program providing Persian-language enrichment and cultural activities for children beyond regular school hours, open to families seeking continued language exposure.
• Summer Camp Summer camp program that immerses children in Persian language and Iranian cultural activities during the school break, extending the immersion experience outside the academic calendar.
• Colab Educators' Collaborative Pro-bono consultancy and collaborative initiative in which Golestan Kids shares its Persian-immersion expertise with other educators and program founders working to launch or strengthen similar heritage-language and cultural education programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ communities served through Colab consultancy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• AshokacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational non-profit organization that builds and cultivates a community of change leaders. Ashoka selected Golestan as the first preschool in the world to become an Ashoka Changemaker School in 2016, recognizing its innovative education model.
• Green Schoolyards AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization focused on expanding and strengthening the green schoolyard movement. Golestan collaborates on outdoor classroom initiatives and COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative. Green Schoolyards America Principles Institute has toured Golestan's schoolyard.
• Sunsar MayamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNepal-based organization operating after school programs for orphaned and high-need children. Golestan Colab provides teacher training, curriculum development, and ongoing support. Sunsar Maya now serves 110 children across two locations.
• Siprosa School KenyamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool in Kenya founded by Mary Ottieno, supporting education for girls. Golestan Colab is actively supporting the school in its startup and program development phases.
• Refugee TransitionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting refugee women and children in East Bay. Golestan Colab collaborated on the Women's Initiative program, helping design children's spaces and providing teacher training for caregivers.
• Ferdows KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToronto-based Persian immersion school. Community that has worked with the Colab to develop Persian immersion programs.
• Boostan KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Mateo, CA-based Persian immersion preschool co-founded by former Colab members. Community that has used Golestan as a model for their emerging school.
• Baharestan KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrvine-based Persian immersion school. Community that has worked with the Colab to develop Persian immersion programs.
• Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal school district. Golestan hosted meetings for Berkeley Unified School District stakeholders regarding COVID-19 outdoor learning initiatives, including School Board members, Principals, and Teachers.
• Persian Language Immersion Schools NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolestan has worked with communities to develop Persian immersion schools in Toronto, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Washington DC, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Irvine, Chicago, New York City, and Bay Area communities of Walnut Creek, San Mateo, Mountain View, Menlo Park, and Marin County.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Berkeley Montessori School: East Bay Montessori school serving a similar age range with comparable tuition and East Bay progressive parent demographic. Golestan explicitly integrates ~80% Montessori-based materials, making this a methodology-comparable regional peer.
• Prospect Sierra School: El Cerrito-based progressive K-8 school in the same East Bay corridor as Golestan. Directly comparable in pedagogical approach (experiential, project-based) and price point, and competes for the same family demographic, though it does not offer language immersion.
• Marin Primary & Middle School: Bay Area progressive independent school with experiential, project-based pedagogy similar to Golestan's. Comparable in serving high-income Bay Area families seeking progressive education, though Marin-based rather than East Bay.
• Black Pine Circle School: Berkeley-based progressive K-8 school with similar project-based, experiential learning philosophy and similar family demographic. Comparable independent school competing for the same East Bay progressive-education families, though without the Persian language immersion component.

Direct peers

• Ferdows Kids: Toronto-based Persian language immersion school that worked with Golestan's Colab to develop its Persian immersion program. Operates in the same niche of full Persian immersion early childhood education for the Iranian diaspora, modeled directly on Golestan's curriculum.
• Boostan Kids: San Mateo, CA-based Persian immersion preschool co-founded by former Colab members and explicitly modeled on Golestan's program. Direct Persian immersion peer serving the Bay Area Iranian-American community with comparable progressive pedagogy.
• Baharestan Kids: Irvine-based Persian immersion school that has worked with the Golestan Colab to develop Persian immersion programming. Direct peer serving the Southern California Iranian-American community with similar early childhood focus.

Peers

• French American International School (International High School):

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Golestan Kids