One of the main reasons to establish yourself in a specific area is being certain that you have good quality schooling, especially if the family has children of these ages.
We selected three of the best schools in the area adjacent to Buenaventura to understand their vision regarding education and to see what resources they have.
Over the last few decades, an important ‘ex-pat’ community has established itself in the area between Coronado and Cocle to enjoy a life away from the city’s buzz while still enjoying all the necessary amenities. This has led to an increase in services, including education.
Its closeness to the capital – approximately 100 kilometers – and great connectivity to it, has led to the area becoming an ideal place to live in. Beach, spectacular weather, multiple golf courses, nature and a variety of available adventures in the mountains, are just some of the many reasons to choose this area.
One of the most important things to consider is the quality of academic services provided. Given the arrival of these families, the area has increased their academic offer, especially in bilingual education.
To understand more about the available options we selected three of the best schools in the zone adjacent to Buenaventura to understand their vision regarding education and what resources they have.
Therefore, if you are thinking about moving to Panama, here you will find valuable information about academic offers for your family, that will save you time and will help you make the best choice.
Coronado International School
Located in the area of Coronado, approximately 20 minutes away from Buenaventura.
The Coronado International School opened their doors in August of 2012 as an initiative of Grupo Coronado and the Eisenmann family, who decided to incorporate an academic offer at an international level and high standards that will integrate with the housing offer as an essential part of life.
PL: What is your educational vision?
CIS: We are an academic community that promotes the development of personal and academic excellence of all its members in an stimulating and enriching environment.
We prepare our students to gain knowledge and confidence in themselves and take this commitment to become citizens of the XXIst century.
Our vision is to be recognized as an institution that educates people that look to have an impact, transform and transcend with their commitment to society, their concern for the environment, defending democratic values and respecting their intercultural differences.
PL: What type of academic model is used in the school?
CIS: We follow an academic model based on skills, we promote critical thinking, communication skills, creativity and collaboration.
Our academic offer is based on the concept of learning to learn where the students take a protagonist role in their own learning process. Thus, following the natural development of significant learning where you first gain interpretation of the concrete to apply towards the abstract through problem solving with creativity, communication and collaboration.
Coronado International School adjusts to the established legal requirements of Meduca Panama and the international parameters of Common Core Standards for the subjects of English, Science and Math, Calvert Education for High School and Creative Curriculum for the area of PreSchool.
PL: Bilingual?
CIS: Most of our subjects are taught in English. Per the Ministerio de Educacion de Panama’s (MEDUCA) requirement, the subjects that are taught in spanish are Spanish and Social Sciences.
Our main objective is that our students develop the linguistic competencies and reading and writing skills in both languages.
Taking into account the multicultural nature of our student population who come from both Panama and other countries, we have programs for Spanish as a Second Language and English as a Second Language for those students that require it.
PL: How many students are enrolled in the school? How many per classroom?
CIS: 220 students in total. The maximum students per classroom is of 20 but the current average is of 15. The classrooms and installations are designed following the minimum criteria of 3m2 per student in the room and 4m2 per student in recreational areas.
PL: Do you have strategic alliances or accreditations?
CIS: Hudson Global Scholars, Calvert Academy, Teaching Strategies , Grupo Soluciones Educativas, Grupo Coronado es Vida and Ministerio de Educación de la República de Panamá
Calvert Academy is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in the United States. Furthermore, the Calvert curriculum for Kinder through 12th grade is approved by the Department of Education of the State of Maryland.
To ensure the best educational pedagogy, Calvert regularly revises their courses and introduces new subjects after considering state standards and the standards established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), National Council for Social Studies (NCSS), National Science Teaching Association and International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
PL: What extracurricular activities do you offer?
CIS: Robotics, gymnastics, soccer, basketball, choir, art, folklore, cheerleading, piano, academic tutoring and psychomotricity.
PL: What non academic activities do you offer?
CIS: Events where we highlight the cultural diversity and talents of our students. Artistic events for each end of the school year.
PL: How does your community get involved?
CIS: Throught the school year, CIS has multiple sports and social events, as well as donations and events to preserve the environment that aim to develop a sense of community and solidarity amongst our students and their families.
PL: What is the school’s infrastructure?
CIS: Coronado International School is located in the Del Mar hills close to the beautiful Coronado beaches, approximately 60 minutes from Panama City. It is on 2 hectares of land that are host to sports, academic and administrative installations as well as a cafeteria with a capacity for 80 students and areas for outdoor breaks.
We also have an events room in Coronado Luxury Club & Suites.
PL: Do you have any technological support?
CIS: Our school uses world renown digital platforms that are safe and have allowed us to transition to online schooling efficiently.
Our students have access to Google G-Suite through their school email addresses. Additionally, both students and parents have access to the academic platform SEDUCA through which they can communicate with school personnel as well as have access to their curriculums and materials.
Each of the academic programs for Spanish, Social Sciences, Math, English and Science subjects has interactive resources online.
We have fiber optic internet connection with wide band symmetry and our own mile. We also have a Ubiquity network for WiFi.
PL: Laboratories?
CIS: Labster Virtual Laboratories allows students to experience a virtual version of the practical lab to use ahead of time, teaching them the techniques, skills, processes and protocols as well as the underlying theory. Students can learn through trial and error in the virtual lab before going into the physical lab.
PL: Sports installations?
CIS: We have a synthetic soccer field, area for psychomotricity exercises, recreational area and access to the sports installations in Coronado Luxury Club & Suites
PL: Medical insurance?
CIS: Accident insurance for all students that covers the time they are receiving instruction both in and out of the school installations.
Santa Mónica Bilingual Academy
Santa Mónica is the first planned eco-city in Panama and it is already under construction. It is quality of life at its best. To live in front of a 70-hectare park, planned urbanization, sustainable architecture, sports center, short distance to the beach, and a series of other amenities.
Within this context is where the Academia Bilingüe was established and it aims to be a future academic option for hundreds of families that will begin to live in this city in the short term.
PL: When was the school established?
ABSM: Last year we built a dream called Academia Bilingüe Santa Mónica and we opened our doors for the first time to receive students this current year, 2020.
PL: What is your educational vision?
ABSM: Our teaching scheme of teaching-learning based and focused on the practice of values, the preservation of a healthy body, respect for nature and both individual work and teamwork.
PL: What type of academic model is taught at the school?
ABSM: Our aim is to develop skills associated with innovation, using the following teaching strategies:
- Learning based on critical thinking
- Inverted classroom
- Project based learning
- Cooperative learning
- Gamification – play and learning
- Learning based on problem solving
- Design thinking
- Learning based on challenges
PL: Bilingual?
ABSM: 70% of the classes are taught in English.
PL: How many students does the school have? Per classroom?
ABSM: Currently we have 2 levels of Pre School and 4 students in total. The capacity of our classrooms is 20 per room.
PL: Non academic activities that you offer?
ABSM: For the time being we do not have these activities. Within our plans we have the idea to develop different groups for artistic expression.
PL: Extracurricular activities that you offer?
ABSM: We have thought about multiple activities for our students and the community.
PL: How do you involve your community?
ABSM: We wish to create support groups for parents and young people in different areas.
PL: What is the school’s infrastructure?
ABSM: In our first phase we have 3 classrooms that are equipped with a projector, computer and furniture.
We also know that the space where our young ones learn influences their learning process. It is for this reason that our rooms continually offer new experiences. They are full of positive stimulation and invite them to learn more efficiently. They are spaces to create, form and learn. They promote multidisciplinary and collaborative work.
Natural light, colors and their surroundings were designed to create an ideal environment for stimulation and creativity.
We also have a cafeteria and recreational area for students.
PL: Technology support?
ABSM: We bring technology to each of our classrooms using virtual platforms for our books.
For primary and secondary levels we use a digital platform as a method not only for communicating but also working. Taking into account the virtual classroom concept given today’s current situation as motivation to prepare our students.
PL: Laboratory?
ABSM: The development of the Science area is highly important for our institution. Our school will continue to grow along with the community and having a science laboratory will be one of our goals when we start the secondary school grade levels.
PL: Sports installations?
ABSM: We have a recreational park and sports center in Santa Mónica where you can practice sports.
PL: Medical insurance?
ABSM: All students have medical insurance.
Five Stars Academy (FSA)
Five Stars Academy offers an American style of education for all families interested in living in the beaches found along the Pacific coast in Panama.
Located in Santa Clara, in the province of Cocle, just 20 minutes west of Coronado, it aims to develop a personal, practical and highly academic program for students starting in preschool all through 12th grade. With a diverse population representing over 25 countries, it is truly an international school in Panama.
PL: When was the school established?
FSA: Established in 2011, Five Stars Academy (FSA) is a private institution and academy that combines the philosophy of home schooling which is individual centered with the experience of professional teachers that are certified and experienced.
We have flexible options expected of an experimental school while we offer a United States of America Accredited Diploma with an associated school. FSA offers opportunities for students to learn self sufficiency, develop leadership skills and understand the impact they have in their environment.
Either through classroom studies, missionary work within and outside of Panama, the wide range of learning and growth available when living in Panama or the daily exposure to innovative student thinking and problem solving, lead to the students learning what they can offer the world.
PL: What is your educational vision?
FSA: Five Stars Academy is reviewing their traditional education model through our processes of thinking, our projects, the way we use technology, our curriculum which is carefully selected, our highly motivated teachers and with a vision of the future and our willingness to look at challenges from all angles. We guide, direct and associate with each one of our students to enjoy the innate love that the student has towards learning.
The old instruction models place emphasis almost completely in one component of a school experience: the content and school work. While these are key components for a successful education, we believe that education must provide opportunities for students to learn to be self sufficient, develop leadership skills and understand the impact that they have in their surroundings.
We will continue to defy the “rules” according to standardized education models. We will make our own way, realigning and re evaluating every step of the way to help our children become the true leaders of tomorrow. This world is rapidly changing and we have the opportunity to build a progressive educational model through:
Academic skills and knowledge
Our central curriculum integrates all the best practices of schools around the world with special focus on the requirements for education and the universities application exams across the world. Life skills, something that most schools pay little attention to, are also integrated in our study plan.
Community service
Experiencing different cultures changes and deepens the students’ opinions about their environment and the world. Our students have the opportunity to participate in community service through our association with the JLM Foundation. The activities include constructions of houses and camps for underprivileged children in Panama, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Learning a second language
Our Spanish program ensures that our students graduate with a good written and spoken level of the language. We started our French program during the 2018-2019 school year. Other languages can be offered depending on the students’ requests.
Personalized and community learning
Five Stars Academy is a community school that offers personalized education to train students as partners in their learning process.
The first crucial step is to get to know the students. Attentive and connected teachers are able to guide their students through all stages of life both academic and extracurricular.
We work in close collaboration with families and we encourage their active participation in Five Stars Academy to reach each student’s potential.
Project based learning
Project based learning connects the domain with inquiry, allowing learning to be more permanent.
Through their learning, students will explore questions and important problems, will take a concept idea and turn it into a product, will learn through trial and error and will realize the importance of flexibility and adaptation.
University placement
Starting with picking a major, to preparing for application exams to meeting with university representatives, Five Stars Academy works with each student and their family to develop a plan that best satisfies their higher education needs.
Connection to Earth
As a part of daily life in Five Stars Academy, our students are connected to Earth and will understand the beauty it has to offer. Our students take care of animals, learn to grow fruits and herbs in our garden, understand how to use plants as a source of health and reparation. They understand the life of reduce, reuse and recycle every day when they go to classes in shipping containers that were recycled. They have classwork, such as using old pieces to create sources of energy to use as electricity for Five Stars Academy or to provide our families in the mountains with electricity.
PL: What type of education model is taught at the school? Bilingual?
FSA: We use an American style curriculum and we are a completely English speaking academy. We offer a minimum of 1 hour per day of Spanish starting in Pre-K all through Grade 12 as well as other languages in secondary school.
PL: How many students does the school have? ¿Per classroom?
FSA: With an average size classroom of 10 students per 1 teacher, we can keep our expectations high while we give individualized support.
PL: How does the school get involved with its community?
FSA: One of the central values of Five Stars Academy is service which is an integral part of the student experience. Community service often happens as a school wide initiative, involving students, teachers and many parents.
The service includes teaching at a local home, rescuing turtle eggs, beach clean ups and supporting the home of an underprivileged child. Furthermore, this year we have many students traveling to Haiti and Nicaragua to help in day camps and feed over 1000 children.
Through service, our students gain conscience about cultural and social differences that allow each community to be unique while they learn humility, joy and respect.
PL: Do you have any accreditations or strategic alliances?
FSA: Accreditation
• In association with U.S. High School.: AdvancEd International Accreditation and National Council for Private School Accreditation
• Ministro de Educación, Republic of Panama
• Candidate for Accreditation with NCA CASI, NWAC and SACS CASI.
PL: The school’s infrastructure?
FSA: Located in Santa Clara, 90 minutes west of Panama City, we have worked to minimize our carbon print through restoring shipping containers to become our classrooms. We have equipped each room with high speed internet access and an AppleTV to help with teaching. In the school grounds, we have built an outdoor area that blends with our environment. We have a small area to breed rabbits and chickens, a butterfly farm and an organic hydroponic garden. Students participate in the construction of sources of energy and learning about sustainable development.
PL: What universities have your students been accepted into?
FSA: Even though our first group just graduated in 2019, we have students that have been accepted into the following universities:
USA: University of Colorado – Boulder, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, University of Wisconsin – Madison and Monroe College.
Canada: McGill University, University of Toronto, Concordia University and University of Waterloo.
International: University of Edinburgh (Scotland), University of St. Andrews (Scotland), University of Bristol (England), University of Paris (France).
Panamá: Technological University of Panama – UTP
PL: Medical insurance?
FSA: All our students have medical insurance during school hours.
