The American School of Quito opened its doors on October 14, 1940 to 162 students, offering a non-sectarian education based on the teaching of democratic values. The school’s founders, Galo Plaza Laso and Boaz Long, the representative of the United States Government in Ecuador at that time, initated a long relationship between these two countries by educating future leaders in the prinicples of equality, active participation, freedom of expression and mutual respect. The founders of our school lived in a time characterized by the fascist movements in Europe. They had a vision of educating the youth of Ecuador in democratic values knowing these students would become the future leaders. This vision can be evidenced in the long list of outstanding graduates that have been leaders in politics, finances, industry, law, medicine, education, journalism among other areas.

Throughout its history, the students and staff of the American School have been recognized both nationally and internationally for their accomplishments in many different arenas, educational, sports and cultural. Today, the American School has 2,240 students from Pre-Kindergarten to Twelfth Grade. Among these students are the children and grandchildren of our founding families. Currently the school is co-educational, non-religious and is a non-profit foundation. It is accredited by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) and the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education and Culture. Additionally, it is recognized by the International Baccalaureate Organization and offers both I.B. Programmes: Middle Years and Diploma. Our graduates can obtain three diplomas: a high school diploma accredited in the United States, the Ecuadorian Bachillerato Unico and the I.B. Diploma.

The original vision and philosophy of the school have been maintained over the years and are evident in our mission:

“To educate students in an environment of liberty so that they may become persons of integrity who are capable of critical reasoning, who have democratic values, who are bilingual, who are aware of their country’s problems, and who are able to face and change realities with a multicultural and universal perspective of the world.”

The American School of Quito celebrates its 65 years with a history full of remarkable people and extraordinary accomplishments that often mirror national events and hopefully reflect a vision of the future.