We are proud of the personalized, holistic education provided to our IA students and are pleased that you are interested in learning more about us. With students and teachers from around the world, we emphasize the importance of celebrating differences and preparing students to thrive in a global society. Let me share some highlights:

IA is an independent, non-profit day school, which offers an educational program from nursery(age 2) through grade 12 for students of all nationalities. IA was founded in 1979 and is governed by a school board comprised of seven elected parents. IA is fully accredited in the United States by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is also recognized by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education. IA is a member of the Association of American Schools in South America.

Our curriculum is based on best practices in American and international education. Instruction is in English. Average class size is 15 students. Supplementing the core program of English, math, science, social studies and Spanish, instruction in art, computers, music and physical education is offered at all grade levels. Spanish is taught in grades K-12. English-as-a-Second-Language is provided to those students not fluent in English. A Learning Resource Center provides support for students with learning difficulties. Distance learning courses, global citizenship, yearbook, sociology, graphic design, and French are some of the high school electives available.

With a wide range of Advanced Placement (AP) courses offered, our graduates are well-prepared for colleges and universities in North America, Ecuador, and Europe. Recent graduates have attended post-secondary institutions in Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Ecuador. A rich extracurricular activity and athletic program is available for students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Enrollment at the beginning of the 2006/07 school year was 203 students. Our population is split roughly into thirds with 25% U.S. citizens, 40% Ecuadorian, and 35% other nationalities. Responsible for teaching and guiding our students is a highly talented faculty of 26 full-time and 2 part-time teachers, counselors, and administrators, including eleven U.S., ten Ecuadorian, four Canadian, one French, one Dutch and one Brazilian educator.

The IA campus has 31 classrooms, a library, a 25 meter semi-olympic swimming pool, a covered multi-purpose court and playground, and a cafeteria. We have 35 computers between our computer and media lab (along with teacher computers in each classroom), and our library houses various periodicals and over 15,000 volumes. IA is fortunate to be sited on a 27,400 square-meter campus with beautifully landscaped playing fields and gardens--complete with iguanas! IA is located in Puerto Azul, a suburb of Guayaquil. Guayaquil, with 3,000,000 inhabitants, is located near the Pacific coast and is the bustling economic capital of Ecuador.

As the only U.S. accredited, U.S. curriculum school in Guayaquil, we are proud of the enriching academic and extracurricular programs we offer and the unique diversity of our international population. As you peruse our web site, we hope you learn much about IA and our students.