The Pan American Christian Academy, or PACA, is a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

American school in

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. 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 A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...

and

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

. 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 The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

, by the

Association of Christian Schools International The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), founded in 1978, is an international organization of evangelical Christian schools. Its headquarters are in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It offers tiers of oversight, from school accredit ...

, and by the Brazilian Ministry of Education and Culture. The school is a member of the

Association of American Schools in South America The Association of American Schools in South America (AASSA) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that was established in 1961 "to discover and develop ways and means for improving understanding through international education." All schools in ...

, and the Association of American Schools of Brazil.

Organization

As a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

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 Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

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