American School of Brasilia

A Microcosm of the World in Brasília

Brasília's identity as Brazil's federal capital and diplomatic hub makes it one of South America's most internationally diverse cities — and EAB's student body reflects this. Of approximately 680 enrolled students, around 44+ nationalities are represented, with the community split roughly evenly between Brazilian (≈49%) and international (≈51%) students.

This balance is somewhat unusual among international schools, which often skew heavily towards expat populations. At EAB, Brazilian and international students share classrooms, co-curriculars, and a campus culture, creating genuine cross-cultural exchange on a daily basis.

Language as Community

Language policy reinforces the inclusive culture. English is the primary language of instruction for all students from Pre-K (age 3) through Grade 12. However, Portuguese is compulsory for all students from K3 through Grade 10 — meaning international students gain meaningful exposure to Brazilian language and culture, while Brazilian students strengthen their mother tongue alongside their English education. Spanish is available as a foreign language option, particularly within the IB Diploma Programme.

Pastoral and Wellbeing Structures

EAB invests meaningfully in student wellbeing:

• 6 counsellors span the school's three divisions (2 in Lower School, 1 in Middle School, 2 in Upper School, plus a dedicated College Counsellor).
• 2 school nurses are on campus full-time.
• Access & Inclusion policies are embedded in the school's formal governance framework.
• A differentiated learning model ensures that students with diverse academic needs — including EAL learners — receive appropriate support.

Service and Citizenship

Community service is explicitly part of EAB's vision. Clubs like EAB Goes Green (environmental activism) and the IB CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) requirement for Diploma students mean that students are regularly engaged with issues beyond the school gates. The annual TEDxEABYouth conference further reinforces a culture in which students are expected to think, speak, and act as global citizens.

Designed for Diplomatic and Expat Families

EAB's admissions process is pragmatically structured for internationally mobile families who may be arriving in Brasília on short notice. Applications are submitted online, and the school makes documents available in both English and Portuguese to serve its bilingual community.

Assessment Components

Admissions assessment varies by grade level but typically includes:

• WIDA English Proficiency Assessment — used across all incoming students to benchmark English language ability and identify EAL support needs.
• MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Tests — administered to students at appropriate grade levels to assess Math and Reading performance.
• IB Preparatory Tests — for students entering Upper School grades where IB coursework is underway.
• Academic Transcripts and Teacher Recommendations — required as part of the application package, sent directly by the previous school.

Timeline

The admissions cycle broadly follows this pattern:

• February/March — Applications open online.
• April — Assessments administered to shortlisted candidates.
• May/June — Admission offers communicated to families.
• Late July/Early August — New student orientation, ahead of the school year beginning in early August.

Fees and Financial Commitments

• Application Fee: R$550 (non-refundable, paid at application submission).
• Guaranteed Placement Deposit: US$15,000 — a substantial commitment paid upon accepting an offer, reflecting the school's position as a premium international institution in the Brasília diplomatic community.

Waitlist and Access

Applicants who are not immediately offered a place may join a waitlist at no additional cost. Given EAB's relatively small enrolment (~680 students across 14 year levels) and consistent demand from the diplomatic community, waitlists are common in popular year groups.

Scholarships

The Maria Felícia Scholarship for the Arts provides full tuition coverage for high-school juniors and seniors who demonstrate exceptional passion and talent in visual or performing arts. Applications are due in mid-April each year, with notifications in May. The school's General Scholarship Fund also provides donor-funded assistance, primarily for staff children.

Origins in a New Capital

When Brazil inaugurated its brand-new capital city of Brasília in 1960, the U.S. Embassy faced an immediate practical challenge: there was no school capable of educating the children of its diplomats and staff in English. The Embassy turned to the Franciscan Sisters of St. Anthony, and Sister Rita Michael answered the call. In April 1961, the first classes of what would become the American School of Brasília (EAB) were held — just a year after the city itself had opened.

Formal Registration and a Permanent Home

The school's early years were marked by rapid growth alongside the city. On September 15, 1964, EAB was formally registered with Brazil's government, at which point it was serving approximately 41 enrolled students. Recognising the school's importance to the diplomatic and international community, the Brazilian government granted land in the Asa Sul neighbourhood of Brasília for a permanent campus. By 1967, the main school building — today home to the Upper School — had been constructed and inaugurated.

Growth and Accreditation Milestones

From those modest beginnings, EAB expanded steadily:

• 2004 — A 400-seat performing arts theatre was added to the campus, reflecting growing investment in the arts.
• 2009 — EAB became an IB World School, receiving authorisation for the IB Diploma Programme, cementing its reputation as a rigorous international institution.
• 2022 — EAB achieved CIS (Council of International Schools) accreditation (June 2022), one of the most prestigious quality marks in international education.

Today

EAB now serves over 680 students from more than 44 countries, with approximately equal numbers of Brazilian and international students. The school offers three pathways to graduation — the U.S. High School Diploma, the Brazilian national diploma, and the IB Diploma — making it uniquely positioned to serve the diverse Brasília diplomatic and expatriate community that its founders envisioned more than six decades ago.

The Mission in Their Own Words

The American School of Brasília distils its educational purpose into a single, memorable mission statement:

"Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision."

This peer-driven framing — learners inspiring learners, not merely teachers instructing students — signals a philosophy in which active curiosity, ethical grounding, and ambitious thinking are cultivated as habits of mind rather than outcomes measured on a test.

Differentiated Learning at its Core

EAB's approach is built around a differentiated learning model: the recognition that students in a community of 44+ nationalities arrive with vastly different linguistic backgrounds, learning styles, and prior experiences. Rather than applying a single instructional standard, teachers are trained and resourced to adapt content, process, and assessment to meet each learner where they are.

This model underpins support structures across the school:

• EAL/English Language Support — using WIDA, MAP, and AAPPL assessments to benchmark and guide progress for students whose first language is not English.
• Learning Support Services — differentiated accommodations embedded across the Lower, Middle, and Upper School divisions.
• College Counselling — dedicated counsellors for each division, culminating in a specialist college counsellor for Upper School students.

A Holistic Vision

EAB's companion vision statement positions the school's ambition beyond academic results:

"To positively impact the world through excellence in academics, activities, arts, leadership, and service."

This five-pillar framework (academics, activities, arts, leadership, service) means that sport, the performing arts, community service, and student leadership are treated as equal partners to classroom learning — not add-ons. A 9:1 student-teacher ratio and small average class sizes of approximately 9 students create the intimate environment in which this holistic vision can realistically be delivered.

Values in Practice

The three core values — Inquisitive, Principled, Bold — flow directly from the mission. They are reflected in programme choices such as the IB Diploma, which rewards independent inquiry and extended research, and in co-curricular offerings like TEDxEABYouth, which asks students to develop and defend original ideas before a public audience.

A Truly Multi-Credential School

Few international schools offer students three simultaneous pathways to graduation. At EAB, Upper School students (Grades 9–12) can pursue:

• U.S. High School Diploma — aligned with American secondary education standards.
• Brazilian National Diploma — recognised by Brazilian universities and the Federal District Secretary of Education.
• IB Diploma Programme (DP) — EAB has been an authorised IB World School since 2009, offering the full DP curriculum.

This multi-credential structure is particularly valuable in Brasília's diplomatic community, where families may return to any number of countries and need flexible, internationally recognised qualifications.

IB Performance

EAB's IB Diploma Programme consistently delivers strong results. The school reports an average IB score of 36 out of a possible 45 — comfortably above the global IB average of approximately 30. Combined with the school's reported 100% graduation rate (all Class of 2023 students earned their diplomas), this reflects a rigorous but well-supported academic culture.

Assessment and Progression

The school uses a structured, developmental assessment framework:

• Lower School (K–5): MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) growth assessments and WIDA English proficiency assessments.
• Middle School (6–8): Continued MAP and WIDA monitoring, transition into subject-specialist teaching.
• Upper School (9–12): IB preparatory coursework, IB Diploma assessments, and AP courses.

AAAPL (ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages) is also used to track language learning progress.

University Outcomes

The Class of 2024 received offers from a range of highly selective global universities, including Oxford, Brown University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Toronto, among others. While EAB does not publish formal acceptance-rate statistics, the breadth and selectivity of these destinations demonstrate the effectiveness of the school's academic and college-counselling programmes.

Class Structure and Staffing

With an average class size of 9 students and a 9:1 student-teacher ratio, EAB's academic culture is characterised by close teacher-student relationships and highly personalised instruction — a significant differentiator from larger international schools.