Together for students: SEAL and Para Los Niños Strength Multilingual Education for Los Angeles Youngest Learners

At SEAL, we know that meaningful partnerships transform education. That’s why we are proud to welcome Para Los Niños (PLN) as a new partner in our mission to advance research-based, joyful, and language-rich classrooms for multilingual learners.

From Skid Row Roots to Citywide Impact

Founded more than four decades ago on Skid Row - a downtown Los Angeles neighborhood known as one of the nation’s largest concentrated communities of unhoused individuals - PLN began with a simple but urgent mission: to provide quality early education to children in one of the city’s most underserved areas.

Today, PLN has grown into a comprehensive agency serving thousands of children and families across Los Angeles. With six active preschool sites, charter elementary and middle schools, youth workforce programs, family engagement services, and mental health supports, PLN provides the kind of wraparound services that ensure children and families thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

Why Partnerships Matter

PLN’s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program sits at the unique intersection of early education and elementary schooling. With TK’s growth across California, PLN saw an opportunity to better align its dual language early learning practices with its elementary program’s strong focus on multilingual learners.

That’s where SEAL comes in. Together, PLN and SEAL are beginning a two-year professional learning journey designed to:

• Equip TK teachers with strategies and resources to support dual-language learners.
• Create a seamless bridge between early education and elementary classrooms.
• Ground instruction in both academic rigor and the celebration of students’ language, culture, and identity.

This partnership represents a shared commitment to educational equity and excellence, ensuring that multilingual learners in Los Angeles receive the support they need to succeed from their earliest years of schooling.

Early Impact: Teachers Feel Supported and Excited

In just the first months of collaboration, PLN educators are already experiencing the benefits of SEAL’s approach. Carrie Shoup, Early Education Coach/Mentor for Para Los Niños, noted that SEAL strategies are blending seamlessly into their existing curriculum:

“It doesn’t feel like just another new thing. SEAL strategies are blending beautifully into what we already do with Creative Curriculum. Teachers feel supported, grounded, and excited to bring new tools into their classrooms,” said Carrie Shoup, Early Education Coach/Mentor for Para Los Niños.

Shoup also noted the seamless connection between SEAL’s language and identity-based strategies and PLN’s commitment to social-emotional learning.

“We talk about school families in Conscious Discipline, and SEAL complements that perfectly. Celebrating bilingualism isn’t just an add-on—it’s foundational to how students see themselves and their families,” she explained.

These early results point to a powerful approach: when educators are equipped with research-based tools that celebrate language and culture, student learning and family engagement thrive.

Looking Ahead

Over the next two years, PLN and SEAL will work side by side to deepen instructional practices, strengthen teacher confidence, and elevate multilingual learners. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to honoring students’ full identities and building classrooms where language and culture are celebrated every day—not just on special occasions.

We’re inspired by Para Los Niños’ holistic vision for children and families, and we’re honored to walk alongside them in this new chapter.

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Para Los Niños early education centers provide students with high-quality academic and social-emotional education. To learn more visit www.paralosninos.org