FEA Managing Directors
Farhangian Educator Association is a non-profit, non-religious, and non-partisan organization based in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. Education of K – 12 students is the main concern of this organization. We serve Iranian Canadian community of Canada with all aspect of education.
Farhangian Educators Association (FEA) has a root in the community of Iranian Canadians of Coquitlam, BC, Canada. This group was registered as a non-profit organization in 2014 in British Columbia, Canada. FEA is an educational organization mainly concern K – 12 matters for Iranians who live in Canada.
In 2005, Ali Tootian as the president of Echo Tricity (a cultural group based in Coquitlam), wrote a letter to School District #43 Coquitlam, in BC, Canada, and encouraged the authorities to consider Farsi as heritage language as one of the courses to offer at schools. This process was postponed for years as the number of Iranian students was not high enough to justify running the course. In fall 2013, Ali Tootian with the help of volunteers who had experience teaching in Iran, developed a plan to publish the first Farsi textbook in Canada, and perhaps in North America. The probationary volume of the book was published in Canada with only 50 books. This occurred after summer 2014 when the first official gathering of the group was held at ArtSpot Studio in Port Moody. Participants performed the final review before the book was published. Farsi 1 then was used to instruct Farsi as a second language to about 10 students at Kwayhquitlum Middle School in Port Coquitlam, and a couple private locations for a year before the first volume of that was released to the market. More than 80 new pictures and 32 grammar point was the result of the first edition.
Since summer 2014, FEA has been an active organization in Lower Mainland serving Iranian community in different aspects of education. This has been included but not limited to offering workshops such as “Bullying at Schools” and “Classroom Management and Discipline for Iranian Canadian Elementary Students.” Active participation in Nowrooz festivals in North Vancouver, BC, and fundraising for university students’ scholarship has been of events FEA has been constantly involved.
By January 2017, the Practice-book for Farsi 1 textbook, and Farsi 2 and Farsi 3 textbooks were prepared and published.
Ali Tootian
Ali is a Doctor of Educational Technology from Walden University, USA. He received a metallurgy engineering degree from SBU, Iran, and migrated to Canada in 1999. Ali became a certified teacher in 2003 and completed an M.Sc. in secondary mathematics education in 2009 both at SFU, Canada. As a principal and teacher, Ali worked at the Islamic College of British Columbia for two years, improving the category of school from 3 to 1. As a result, the school was 50% founded by the Ministry of Education. Since 2005, he is a secondary teacher at School District 43 (Coquitlam). Ali is a social activist. His services to the Iranian community of Lower-mainland have included but are not limited to serving as a board member for three years in Burnaby, Multicultural Society, one year in Burnaby Ethno-cultural Advisory Council, founded Echo-Tricity and founded/lead Farhangian Educators Association. The wellness of Iranians and their cultural and educational growth of them has been the major tasks for Ali for over 20 years. Ali’s passion for the success of Iranian students has been a driving force for providing voluntarism for the students, consulting students and their parents, presenting educational workshops, and promoting positive thinking and approaches toward migration and multiculturalism. In 2020 Ali was recognized as the top 75 immigrant of Canada, and in 2022 he ran to seek a Coquitlam City Council seat.
Naser Heidari
Persian (Farsi) native speaker with a Masters Degree in Farsi Language with more than 48 years of teaching Farsi in schools (elementary, secondary and high school) and universities and private sessions
Educational Background
M.A. and B.A. in Persian (Farsi) Literature and Language
Professional Experience
Chief of Strategic Secretariat for Teaching Persian Literature and Language in Iran, Head of Department of Planning and Policy for teaching Persian Language in Fars Province, Director of Association of Training Persian Literature and Language Teachers in Fars Province, Associate Professor and Lecturer in Persian language and literature in various Universities in Iran
Teaching & Other Details
Certification for a number of New Methods of Teaching Farsi Language, training courses, Certification of New Methods of Students Knowledge Evolutional training course
Naghmeh Babaee
Educational Consultant
Received a PhD in Second Language Education from the University of Manitoba. Her doctoral research examined heritage language maintenance and bilingual development in an Iranian community in Canada. The study investigated successes and challenges of Iranian immigrant children, parents, and Farsi teachers in learning and teaching Farsi within the context of home, school, and the first language community. Dr. Babaee is an educational consultant in BC Farhangian Association. She has offered workshops on teaching Farsi to the Iranian community in Vancouver and collaborated in designing a Farsi textbook.
Saeedeh Nazarian
Saeedeh Nazarian holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Al Zahra University, Tehran, Iran, with a specialized focus on studying children with disabilities sociology. She proudly holds an Honorary PhD degree in Tourism from Iran, showcasing her diverse academic interests.
Currently, Saeedeh is furthering her studies at VCC College in Vancouver, demonstrating her commitment to lifelong learning and personal growth.
With 47 years of teaching experience across elementary, middle, and high school levels, Saeedeh brings extensive expertise to her role. Proficient in teaching all subjects in Farsi, her dedication has positively impacted numerous students.
After retiring, Saeedeh founded Alborz Vocational High School in Saadatabad, Tehran, which thrived with morning and adult night shifts, showcasing her dedication to accessible education. The school offered various majors, including Computer, Graphic Design, Architecture, Hotel Operation & Hospitality (the first offering of its kind for female students in Iran), Hair Styling, Painting, and AutoCAD & Building Blueprint. This high school remained active for 17 years.
Farzaneh Kholghi
Farzaneh Kholghi, an educator with a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Sciences and a Master’s in linguistic (teaching Persian to non-Persian speakers), boasts over 30 years of experience as a Persian Literature Teacher in Iran. Her career spans conventional and gifted schools, where she instills a passion for literature and language in her students. Beyond teaching, Farzaneh actively participates in teacher associations, advocating for improved methodologies and addressing educational challenges.
Her dedication to literacy extends to supporting underprivileged children and women through various initiatives and engagements with NGOs like Mehrpouyan Sabze Andishe. Farzaneh authored a Farsi grammatical handout to aid her students’ learning.
In addition to her extensive experience in Iran, Farzaneh continues to contribute to the social and educational activity in Canada as a volunteer at the Immigrant Service Society of BC (ISSofBC). Furthermore, she serves as a contributor to Farsi Teaching Materials in the Iranian magazine, Danestaniha, where she continues to facilitate Farsi language learning for readers.
Alireza Bataghva Shahbaz
I migrated to Canada with my wife and two children in 2013 and immediately involved with BC Farhangian administering the FEA program at Kwayhquitlum Middle school in 2013/2014. Member of FEA for the past six years as a board member and instructor. Currently, tutors Farsi as a second language. Two children, one a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering at Western University, London, Canada, and the other an undergraduate business student at BCIT, Burnaby, Canada.