Welcome to the website of The Bethesda Dutch School!

We are a non-profit after school program for Dutch Language and Culture education. We offer Dutch language classes Saturday mornings from 8:45 until 11:45am during the U.S. schoolyear. Classes are offered to students interested in learning Dutch, because of their heritage or because they plan to eventually return to The Netherlands or Belgium.
The Bethesda Dutch School follows the world-wide Dutch Education Organization instruction for school age children and pre-schoolers. We enroll students who have at least one parent who is fluent in Dutch. Our program leads to the "Certificate Dutch as a Second Language", a nationally recognized certificate from the CNaVT organization, required for higher education at Universities in the Netherlands and Belgium. This course also meets the language requirements for naturalization as Dutch citizens.

Monthly cultural activities throughout the school year are provided to registered students as a component of the language classes. These fun activities are age appropriate for each class level. Past activities have included special events at the school as well as field trips to destinations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. These engaging activities bring the language learning alive for students and often include parents/guardians. Traditional celebrations around King's Day and Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) resemble the types of celebrations enjoyed by children living in The Netherlands.

The school has a large and diverse collection of books that can be checked out. It also has acces to a wide array of online supplemental learning tools.

The Bethesda Dutch School opened its doors on September 13, 2008 and has 100 students enrolled in 2022, divided over 12 groups (pre-K through 9th grade). The staff of 11 teachers, 8 teacher aides and a librarian are native fluent Dutch speakers. An enthusiastic group of parents are key to the success and outstanding spirit of the school. Parents typically volunteer in roles small and large, contributing to the positive atmosphere, while helping to control costs. The school is managed by a governing board and supported by all parents who have children enrolled in the school. Parents attend meetings twice a year organized by the board of directors to be informed about school policies and the budget. Parents are encouraged to ask questions and propose possible improvements.

As a separate program,The Bethesda Dutch School offers Dutch language classes for adults, from beginner to advanced level, using the latest audio visual materials in a friendly classroom setting.

If you would like to know more about the School, please contact us by e-mail