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About Us

The Swedish School of Los Angeles is a nonprofit organization offering supplementary education in Swedish for students ages 18 months to 16 years. We currently have 50 students enrolled across eight grade levels. Grade placement is based on age and language skills. Basic language skills in Swedish are required in order to enroll. Our curriculum includes reading, writing, oral exercises, geography, history, and science, as well as Spirit Days and outdoor activities. We also teach Swedish art, music, literature, and sports.

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We meet every Tuesday from 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church preschool in Santa Monica. Our youngest students (Snails, Frogs, Squirrels, and Badgers) start off each class with a joint singing session. Our older students meet in their respective classrooms at 4.00 p.m.

 

Swedish School of Los Angeles is governed by the Swedish National Agency for Education, which also contributes financially to our programs for students 6 years and older. The Swedish National Agency for Education requires that at least one of our student's parents is a Swedish citizen, and that Swedish is being spoken at home.

 

The Swedish School is run by a board consisting of eight members. The board meets monthly and oversees the budget, monitors the school's interests, and sets up goals for the future. The board encourages all of its members to share any suggestions and ideas that might be of help to the board's work.

 

Our school keeps growing every year and we happily welcome new students.

Svenska skolan i Los Angeles

Our Story

The Swedish School was founded in 1976 by principal Margareta Saperston. At the time, there were no Swedish language classes in Los Angeles, and so Margareta, a mother of two, decided to start her own school. With the help of a friend, she began by reaching out to other Swedish families around town with school-aged children. And once the Swedish Consulate of Los Angeles green-lit the project, she started teaching classes in a park in West L.A.

 

The school eventually moved to more modern premises at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica, where we also manage a library of Swedish children's books. Margareta continues to act as principal, chairman of the board, and teacher for both children and adults. Both of her children have attended the Swedish School, and her daughter Lisa currently teaches Nya Vikingarna, a class for children with limited Swedish language skills.

​Our Teachers

The Board

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