 | Honoree
The City of Irvine appreciates the service of the following honoree:
| Wall of Recognition | | | David Eisenman | | | Distinguished Citizen | | | David Eisenmans vision of a therapeutic school for children in Orange County began as a young man with his work at the Frostig Center in Los Angeles. His desire to bring similar therapeutic educational support to children with learning disabilities in Orange County began with a specialized tutoring program in 1962. This was the advent of the Mardan Foundation of Educational Therapy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of children with learning issues. Five years later, its first day- school class opened in Costa Mesa. In 1985, Mr. Eisenman and Mardans Board of Directors initiated a capital campaign with the goal of raising $6.5 million for a new facility. With the generous support of community leaders, private foundations, local corporations, and many very generous donors, three acres of land was purchased and a custom-designed campus was constructed. In January 1990, Mardan students and staff moved into their beautiful new campus in the heart of Irvine. Over 50 years after its beginnings, the Mardan School continues to serve children from Pre-K through 12th grade that require unique support to be successful in a school environment. Children come to the Irvine campus from all over Orange County. As a nonprofit school certified by the California Department of Education as a non-public school (NPS), Mardan contracts with many school districts, including Irvine Unified School District, to provide its unique environment to students not easily supported at public school campuses. Mardan is also fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and continues to offer its services and direction to families who seek a private school alternative. Mr. Eisenman continues to see the fulfillment of his vision, standing at the helm as Executive Director of the Mardan Foundation of Educational Therapy and its establishment, the Mardan school. He has created a highly-regarded institution which has evolved to meet the needs of the learning community over the years, supporting children with learning disabilities, emotional, and behavioral issues, and those on the autism spectrum. While the school may be Irvines best kept secret and not well-known to the average citizen, the school enjoys a prominent reputation among those who work with children with special needs, including educators, therapist, doctors and other professionals. |
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