Porto Alegre, Brazil: Pan American School of Porto Alegre: 2023-2024 Fact Sheet

Pan American – the International School of Porto Alegre – Pan American – the International School of Porto Alegre is an international, American, not-for-profit, Preschool age 3-G12 coeducational, secular, bilingual, multicultural school of around 430 students founded in 1966. Pan American is fully accredited by Cognia (formerly AdvancED) and is transitioning its accreditation to NEASC in the United States along with the MEC (ministry of education) in Brazil. We are an authorized International Baccalaureate (IBO) World School delivering the Primary Years Program (PYP) and Middle Years Program (MYP) curriculum frameworks through grade 10. We offer our high school students the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) coursework as well as the AP Capstone diploma. For the Class of 2023, 18 members were accepted into 72 universities with four-year scholarships totaling US$2.2 million. Over seventy percent of our seniors attend university out of Brazil, typically in the USA, Canada, and Europe.

Organization: The Pan American School is governed by a Board of Directors composed of seven members, four who are elected by the general assembly for a three-year term. Three additional members are invited to serve one-year terms by the elected members of the Board. The Board of Directors hires, evaluates, and supports the Superintent, who is their only employee. The academic leadership team consists of the primary school principal, primary school assistant principal, secondary school principal, secondary school assistant principal, athletic and after school program coordinator, learning support services coordinator, director of Brazilian program, director of learning & teaching, and the superintendent. This team is in charge of the academic programs of the school and ensures that teachers have the support they need to educate the whole child. The admissions analyst leads admission of new students along with the four section counselors who also help ensure social emotional development of students. The director of business and finance ensures smooth operation of the school.

Curriculum: Throughout our programs, The Pan American School of Porto Alegre embraces a student-centered, inquiry-based approach to learning. We focus on the development of the whole child, ensuring that social and emotional learning as well as academic excellence occurs from P3-G12. Starting in preschool, Pan American follows the PYP Bilingual Education Guide approaching language in education from an additive perspective developing actions to support this goal. With that, we ensure that our students become fully bilingual in both Portuguese and English languages. Students participate in the arts, physical wellness, core academic subjects, and languages that allow students to freely and holistically express themselves, recognizing and enhancing their talents. An IBO World School, Pan American is authorized to implement the PYP in preschool and elementary school (P3 – G5) and the MYP in Middle and High School (G6-G10). As well, the school utilizes the AERO curriculum. The courses at the high school level provide depth and breadth across all disciplines and include a wide range of Advanced Placement options including the lauded AP Capstone (G11 AP Seminar and G12 AP Research). The Pan American School offers a wide range of co-curricular and extracurricular activities including a Classroom Without Walls program along with athletic competitions with other international schools in Brazil. Our After School Program continues to expand and offers students P3-G12 with opportunities to explore different activities and sports through a well-balanced program. Students can earn three diplomas: the USA High School Diploma, the Brazilian Diploma, and the AP Capstone Diploma. The school’s aim is to instill in students the qualities embodied in the IB Learner Profile to help them to become effective communicators, open-minded and principled inquirers, knowledgeable thinkers, caring citizens, risk-takers, and balanced, reflective, and internationally minded citizens of the world.

Faculty: In the 2023-2024 school year, Pan American School has 164 total staff including 55 teachers, 16 of whom are U.S. citizens, 91 host-country nationals, and 3 third-country nationals. Our faculty and staff represent six nationalities, including Brazil, USA, Colombia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Venezuela. All teaching faculty maintain a teaching certificate/credential e.g., Diploma of Teaching/registered Teachers certificate from their countries of origin.

Enrollment: At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year enrollment was 434 students. Of the total, 27 are U.S. citizens, 330 are host-country nationals and 77 are third country nationals. Our students come from 17 nations including Brazil, USA, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, and Switzerland. Section enrollments include: Preschool – 60 students; Elementary School – 214 students; Middle School – 84 students; High School – 76 students.

Facilities: The Pan American School main campus (grades 1-12) is housed in the high-rise, residential neighborhood of Petropolis/Bela Vista. The main campus occupies a 8,634m² constructed area with 35 classrooms, nine student support rooms, five outside play areas which include three rooftop spaces along with two music rooms, two science labs, two art rooms, and a fully equipped gymnasium and cafeteria for students and staff. The Pan American School has a library with more than 40,000 titles utilizing Follet Destiny software. High speed wireless Internet is available throughout the school. In August 2015, a preschool campus located a few minutes from our main campus in the Chácara das Pedras neighborhood was opened. This facility has 1,280 m² of constructed area with four classrooms, an art/music room, an atelier, and a gymnasium along with a cafeteria and a playground. In 2022 we added three temporary classrooms to expand enrollment in the preschool. The business office was moved across the street from our main campus in August 2021 to provide additional classroom space. Our new building was completed in August 2022 which houses eight new classrooms along with three office spaces and one playspace along with additional restrooms and adult changing rooms for faculty/staff.   

Finances: In the 2023-2024 school year,90% of the school’s income derives from tuition. Annual fees for corporations and consulates are as follows: Tuition – P3 & P4 R$90840,00; K5-G8 US$ 40,032; G9 – G12 US$ 42,693. And the Association Contribution (one time entrance fee) for entering P3 & P4 – R$1,000 and when entering K5 – G12 R$24,034. (All fees quoted in US dollars must be paid in Brazilian currency. The current Brazilian Central Bank PTAX exchange rate applied at the invoicing date.)

Special Needs: Review the Special Needs Profile for this school to learn more about their capability to support students with exceptionalities.

This Fact Sheet is intended to provide general information. Prospective users of the schools may wish to inquire further of A/OPR/OS or contact the school directly for more specific and up-to-the-minute information. Information and statistics are current as of September 2023 and provided by the school.