CLASS ACT
Teaching diversity, character and valuable life lessons BY DEBRA GELBART CREATIVE MIND PRESCHOOL
W HAT DO MULTICULTURAL enrichment, women leaders have in common? They are all emphasized at a unique preschool in east Hollywood that has rapidly developed a reputation as one of the best in the Los Angeles area. Creative Mind Preschool helps children—age 2 through pre-kindergarten age—learn about the world around them and the importance of character education and cooperation. Owner and CEO Brigitte Benchimol took over the school in 2015 when it was mutual kindness and respect, environmental sustainability, natural consequences and
faced with challenges. Although the school was licensed to accommodate 49 children, only 18 were attending. Benchimol always knew that building a diverse community was her passion and she brought that intention to Creative Mind. “It doesn’t get more diverse than this school,” she says, adding that among staff members and children, “we have more than 50 different nationalities.” Benchimol, who moved to the U.S. from her native France in 1996, switched from her first chosen profession of journalism and photography to early childhood education because she had long been drawn to teaching young children. When she had visited other preschools
IN YOUR CORNER ISSUE 13 | 2023 10
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker