The Pan American Christian Academy, or PACA, is a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

American school in

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. Since 1960, the school provides an American-style of education that is based on a Christian foundation. PACA has served the local and international community of

by offering a college preparatory education. The school has a preschool program, an elementary school,

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

and

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

. The optional dual curriculum prepares students to enter American and Brazilian colleges and universities. Approximately 95% of each year's graduates enroll in colleges and universities in the United States and in Brazil. Over 340 students from fourteen nationalities are enrolled at PACA. The student body is about 30% Brazilians, 30% Americans, 26% Koreans, and 14% from countries such as India, Nigeria, South Africa, Japan, China, Colombia, and Germany.

Facilities

The school possesses 36 thousand square meters of lawns, trees and gardens, as well as a building with classrooms. The school contains 22 classrooms, science laboratory, library, computer center, learning lab, gymnasium, regulation-size athletic field, outside courts, cafeteria, and a 25-meter swimming pool.

Accreditation

Pan American Christian Academy is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, by the Association of Christian Schools International, and by the Brazilian Ministry of Education and Culture. The school is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International, Association of American Schools in South America, and the Association of American Schools of Brazil.

Organization

As a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

independent school, PACA operates without any financial support from government or non-government organizations. Instead, the school relies on tuition revenue and fund raising activities to operate and grow. The school is a non-stock, non-profit educational institution registered in Brazil. United States non-profit tax-exempt status for contributions is provided through the PACA Alumni Foundation. PACA is governed by a School Board composed of

evangelical christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

s and is directed by licensed U.S. administrators.

Sports

PACA is home to the PACA Warriors. They divide into Varsity (ages 15 up) and Junior Varsity teams (Middle School students), in a range of sports, such as football, futsal, basketball, and softball. They compete in the SPHSL (São Paulo High School League) which comprises five schools: St Paul's School, Associação Escola Graduada de São Paulo (Graded), Escola Maria Imaculada (Chapel School), EAC Campinas (American School of Campinas), and Pan American Christian Academy.

External links

Pan American Christian Academy websiteGraded.brGoogle Earth Community

References