Pilgrim School, a K-12th grade campus located at 540 N. Commonwealth Ave., is offering many exciting programs for students during the upcoming school year.

Pilgrim School is affiliated with the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, was founded in 1958 and currently has approximately 350 students. The college preparatory school has a strong focus on core academics, but also offers instruction in arts and music, and offers a variety of extra-curricular activities.

Earlier this year, the school opened its new art center, and students will receive instruction from local visual artists. In addition, the school offers a variety of language arts classes. All 6th grade students are required to take Latin, while all 7th graders must study Spanish, Japanese and Chinese.

Last year, the school held a week of special events to celebrate the school’s diversity, focusing on Japanese culture. During the 2010-11 school year, the school will hold a week of events in January focusing on Chinese culture.

Pilgrim School strives to immerse students in different learning environments, and offers a variety of trips for students during their educational careers, according to Kathryn Atwood, development associate for Pilgrim School. Beginning in the 4th grade, students attend three to six-day outdoor education trips each year designed to expose them to environmental science. Destinations include Malibu State Park and the San Bernardino Mountains for the younger students, while 6th through 10th grade students travel to destinations such as Yosemite, Joshua Tree and the Grand Canyon National Parks. The 11th grade students participate in a college tour of the East Coast, including Harvard, Amherst. Smith, Columbia and many others. Seniors are required to participate in community service projects, with past projects including rebuilding homes in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and rebuilding in the Los Angeles area after wildfires in Granada Hills.