Spanish Education Development Center

SED Center - Who we are

SED Center is a not-for-profit child and adult educational center, located in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, DC.  Founded by Hispanic immigrants in 1971, SED is the oldest, continuously operating bi-lingual, multi-cultural educational development center in Washington.  Aside from progressive education programs for infants, and pre-school children of predominantly Hispanic descent, SED also is recognized for its service to minority adults of the District, providing a full array of educational opportunities, including classes on ESL, GED, and computer training courses, and general education seminars on financial literacy, citizenship, and conservation practices. Literally thousands of students have taken classes through the Center’s programs, enabling them to become responsible, contributing members of the economic fabric of our city.  SED is accredited by the National Association of Educators for Young Children, is certified by Head Start and is the first accredited bilingual preschool in Washington, DC.

The New SED Center – Proof of Our Continued Commitment

Having been in an inadequate townhouse for over thirty-five years, and facing the prospect of being forced out due to a change in building ownership, SED and its dedicated Board launched a search for new and expanded facilities in 2007.  After a two year search, and a nine month construction period, SED Center now has a new, “state-of-the-art” education center in the heart of Washington, DC.  The creation of this new 24,000 square foot facility enabled SED center to increase by 50% the number of children we care for, double the number of adult students served, and establish a desperately needed infant care service.  In the last two years, SED has expanded its child development enrollment to full capacity 98 students, with an ever growing waiting list; commenced an infant care program for 30 very young children and an afterschool program for 20 elementary school kids; and created a dedicated adult education center with six classrooms, a computer center and large “student commons” area for special events. Almost all of our students (infants, children and adults) attend SED on a heavily subsidized basis.  SED’s new facility has enabled SED to provide a truly “holistic” approach to education and personal enrichment, while still maintaining its “open door” policy, accepting students regardless of their ability to pay.  To achieve this milestone, SED’s Board raised over $3.5M to renovate and furnish the new facility, with over $3.3 M coming from private citizens and businesses of Washington.  In addition, SED attracts and deploys dedicated volunteers in its mission - - more than 157 volunteers last year alone provided in excess of 18,139 hours of service for SED’s educational programs.  This is a testament to the community’s belief that SED plays a very important, very positive role in enriching the lives of the Hispanic people of Washington.

Continued Giving - Why now?  Why SED?

SED and its Board have a demonstrated track record of successfully raising needed funds and, more importantly, responsibly deploying such funds in a high-impact manner.  The SED Center and its Board is proud of the outstanding relationship we have enjoyed with the DC area Hispanic community, the service we have provided to our constituents, and the thousands of lives we have enriched with our educational programs over our nearly forty year history.  We are equally honored with, and humbled by, the trust in our mission and commitment that the philanthropic community and generous individuals have bestowed on us.  Our singular duty and focus, despite uncertain economic and political events, is the continuation of SED's successes and impact in our community for another forty years.  Your continued support of the SED Center is needed now more than ever.

Want to Learn More? - The SED Center and its Board welcome the opportunity to discuss our mission and motto with you - "Para toda la vida!" Find out what it means by contacting SED today. 

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