About Us – BolBol

We open a doorway to Persian culture and language for anyone who is interested.

We are a warm and welcoming space where children and adults, with any level of Persian can feel included and have fun. We use different forms of art, such as music, painting, theater and dance, to enhance your curiosity and facilitate learning.

Our community is made up of families with mixed heritages who are looking to connect with their Persian roots and learn to speak Farsi.

We strongly believe in delivering a brain-based program that follows the latest research on learning and use experienced teachers and professional artists to realize our vision. Our curriculum is inspired by Montessori and Waldorf philosophy, making it immersive and multi-sensory to meet every learner’s needs.

BolBol School Zurich

Board Members:

Fereshteh Bagherimiyab Hunkeler

Fereshteh Bagherimiyab Hunkeler is the President and Founder/Executive Director of the Bolbol School Zurich. Fereshteh has a PhD in Environmental Engineering from EPFL in Switzerland and a Post Doctorate in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo, Canada. As an Environmental Scientist, she wanted to do something meaningful, to create sustainable changes and to make this world a better place.

Fereshteh’s international life led her to appreciate the diversity in the world and the importance of preserving her heritage. Fereshteh introduced her Swiss husband and daughter to formal Farsi lessons at the Parsayan School in Lausanne and soon joined the school as Board member and Co-Director. In 2018 she moved to Zurich and founded Parsayan School Zurich as there were no Persian classes in her area. Soon Fereshteh’s vision broadened to include more cultural elements such as music, theater and art. She valued lessons that are founded on current pedagogical methods. This new vision deserved a new name, a new mission, a new school. Bolbol School was unveiled in 2021.

Leily Zarian

Leily Zarian is the member of the Bolbol School Zurich. Leily is a Coach and Organizational Development Consultant. She has an Advanced Master’s degree in Cognitive and Intercultural Psychology from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. She is a Certified ICA/ICF Coach who is passionate about helping people and organizations reach their full potential and succeed.

Leily is passionate about Persian art and literature and has joined Fereshteh in creating a space that encompasses all the different facets of Persian culture. A space that allows transnational families to bridge their culture gaps.

Shahrooz Aziminia

Shahrooz Aziminia is the Curriculum Development Director. Shahrooz grew up among international students in Switzerland and moved to the US over 20 years ago. She received her BA in Psychology from Drew University and is an AMS certified Montessori educator. She has over 20 years experience as a Montessori teacher and has developed various Enrichment Programs, Curriculums and led teacher and parent trainings. She continues to grow in her field by staying current on the latest research in child development and brain science. Shahrooz is excited to join Fereshteh and Leily at Bolbol School Zurich and their mission to create a space where learning is fun and inspiring.

Teachers and collaborators:

Bayan

Bayan was born and raised in Tehran. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Arabic Language and Literature at the National University of Tehran. From a young age Bayan worked in her family’s publishing business, typing, rereading and editing books. Before graduating, Bayan published her first book, translated from Arabic to Persian, and was recognized by the Ministry of Guidance. She emigrated to Switzerland soon after graduating.

Bayan’s talent for languages led her to teach Persian to children and adults while learning German. After 7 years of clerical work in a semi-private company, she became a German- Persian translator. She is currently a teacher at Bolbol School Zurich and a student at the University of Bern. Bayan believes languages are best learned in stress-free interactive environments, through games, discussions and stories. Her gentle style is attentive to each student’s unique interests and she gains their cooperation through mutual respect.

Shima

Shima grew up in Tehran and since 2010 has lived in Malaysia, Singapore and Switzerland. Shima is an artist and art educator with diverse experience working with children of all ages. She is passionate about ‘process art’ and believes that by actively participating in the process of creating art, children push the boundaries of their acquired knowledge and expand their capacity to discover new elements. It allows each student to share their unique artistic touch and create spontaneous conversations. Every art experience allows the students to connect more deeply with the Persian culture and engage in meaningful language lessons. Shima is excited to be a part of this unique and fresh space where students have the opportunity to explore artistic boundaries and discover meaningful insights into the Iranian culture.

Omideh

Omideh was born in Tehran where she completed her Master’s Degree in German Language Translation and Political Science. She followed her passion for learning by teaching Persian, math and other subjects. Since 2013 Omideh has been studying at the University of Zurich pursuing a Master’s degree in Cultural Analysis while teaching Farsi at Klubschule Migros. Arezoo values learning different languages and remains an enthusiastic teacher after years of experience. She is always implementing different educational strategies to engage her students, both young and old and is excited to share her experience with Bolbol School Zurich.

Fereshteh

Fereshteh, originally from Mashhad, has been residing in Switzerland since 2012. Her academic background is in computer science, but her life took a turn when she became a mother to her daughter. This life-changing experience sparked her interest in working with children. She has discovered a passion for connecting with kids and loves teaching them new things, particularly about Persian culture and language from her homeland.

Fereshteh is thrilled to be part of the exceptional and innovative environment of Bolbol School, where she can play the role of a teacher, giving her students the opportunity to explore Iranian culture through interactive games and captivating stories.

Shahrzad

Shahrzad is a dance instructor in three public schools in Zurich. She also directs Iranian Dance workshops for Iranian women. For many years Shahrzad taught the Orff Approach to children. The Orff Approach uses music, drama, speech and movement to teach music in a playful way. You can also find Shahrzad on Radio Payke, presenting Persian culture with her friends. Shahrzad is excited to join Bolbol school and bring dance, rhythm and music together to create fun choreographies that celebrate Persian culture.

Nemat

Nemat is a singer/ song-writer who is passionate about music, poetry and Persian culture. He brings his Waldorf teaching experience to his music classes, connecting students to the rhythm of Persian language through songs, nursery rhymes and poetry. When he is not teaching, Nemat is often performing at different events and is excited to be a part of the Bolbol School mission and community.

Neda

Neda was born in Tehran, Iran. She received her Bachelor in teaching English as a foreign language and her Master in Linguistics (the study of languages) from Tehran Azad University. Teaching is her passion. Neda has years of experience as a teacher in both public and private schools in Iran. Through her Master study, she developed her interest in comparative linguistics (the study of similarities and differences between languages) which was her important motivation to become a Persian language teacher for children and adults in Switzerland. Neda is delighted to share her professional expertise with Bolbol School students.

Armin

Armin was born in Rasht, Iran. He is an acoustician and a music enthusiast. Armin plays several Persian percussion instruments and classical guitar. He has been an active amateur musician, playing and singing in different bands, as well as teaching tombak and guitar. He has been living in Switzerland since 2017. Armin speaks German, English and Farsi.

Elika

Elika was born and raised in Tehran. After high school she migrated to Switzerland where she studied Art History and Near Eastern Studies at the University of Zurich, followed by a PhD in Islamic Art with a focus on Iran.

Since 2018 she is lecturer of Persian language and culture at the University of Bern and at the University of Zurich. In her function as research assistant, she investigates Iranian art objects at several museums. She is an active member of cultural associations like the Swiss Association of Iranian Academics in Zurich and the Swiss Society of Middle East and Islamic Cultures. Her passion is teaching Persian language and culture and is excited to join Bolbol’s team.

Neda was born in Tehran, Iran. She received her Bachelor in teaching English as a foreign language and her Master in Linguistics (the study of languages) from Tehran Azad University. Teaching is her passion. Neda has years of experience as a teacher in both public and private schools in Iran. Through her Master study, she developed her interest in comparative linguistics (the study of similarities and differences between languages) which was not the only motivation but a very important one to become a Persian language teacher for children and adults in Switzerland. She is delighted to share her professional expertise with her Bolbol school students.

Design by Studio Mellli I 2021 & Developed by kirranbatool