Language has the ability to transcend borders and open us up to experience other cultures and worlds. A school aiming to lead the way in this kind of boundary breaking is nestled in the heart of the San Fernando Valley.
The Multicultural Learning Center (MLC) is a public charter school with a mission to “bring together a diverse community of learners where cultural and individual differences are the building blocks of academic, social, and intrapersonal success,” founders say, and promote social competence and justice.
Founded in 2001 by mother-daughter team Tony Bornstein and Gayle Nadler, MLC uses the gift of diversity to fuel its learning blueprint. The cornerstone of this initiative is its dual-immersion program, which weaves native English and Spanish speakers and encourages tolerance and global citizenship. Not only are educators developing bilingual and bi-literate scholars, but “strong academic data shows the impact they are having on their students,” says Myrna Castrejón, California Charter Schools president and CEO.
The Multicultural Learning Center received the 2022 Charter School of the Year Award from the California Charter School Association. Through the Global California 2030 initiative, the state department of education’s goal is to have 50 percent of all K-12 students proficient in two or more languages, and Nadler says MLC is helping pave the way.
Learn more at mlccharter.org.
