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Escola Americana de Belo Horizonte

Brazil, Belo Horizonte

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees Fees not listed
Ages Not listed
Pupil numbers 400
Type Co-educational
Opened 1956
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum American Curriculum, IB (PYP), IB (MYP), Advanced Placement (AP), Bespoke Curriculum
Taught languages Portuguese, Spanish, Mandarin
Typical class size 22
Strengths Sport, Visual and Creative Arts, Languages
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Leadership and Professional, Community and Service
Stages Preschool, Primary School, Middle School, High School
Introduction

Escola Americana de Belo Horizonte (EABH) serves PK-12 students in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, as the region's sole American-style school. It is a non-profit association reinvesting tuition into education. EABH offers three diploma pathways: Brazilian, American, and IB/AP program incorporating IB PYP and MYP with AP Capstone. Instruction is in English; Spanish is introduced in grade 6 and Mandarin from grade 11. Portuguese is taught through Brazilian programs, and literacy is bilingual in English and Portuguese. The northern-hemisphere calendar runs August–June. Class sizes are small: PK 18 students; K–5 classrooms have two full-time teachers (one foreign, one Brazilian). The campus covers 24,000 m2 and features spacious classrooms, Theater, Music, and Visual Arts spaces, science, language, and technology labs, a multi-sport gym, a natural grass field, an outdoor court, a restaurant, and a library with international collection. Athletics include Hawks and Lady Hawks; NHS and student council support leadership and service.

Av. Professor Mário Werneck, 3301 - Buritis, Belo Horizonte - MG, 30575-180, Brazil

The Essentials

Escola Americana de Belo Horizonte has 400 pupils, typical class sizes of 22, instruction in English.

Location
Av. Prof. Mário Werneck, 3301, Buritis, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30575-180, Brazil. The campus is in the Buritis neighborhood of Belo Horizonte.

Stages
PK-12 (early childhood from age 4 through high school)

Type
International school; non-profit association

Pupil Nationality Mix
More than twenty countries represented
Diving Deeper

Governance and Ownership
The school is owned by parents in the form of a non-profit Association. It elects a seven-member Board of Directors to govern the school, and the Board hires a Director who is responsible for the day-to-day operations.
Fees
Application fees
- The school does not publish a public, itemized application or registration fee schedule for the 2026/27 (or 2025/26) academic year. Specific application-enrollment charges are provided directly by Admissions at the time of application and are documented in the school's admissions/enrollment paperwork.

Tuition fees by year group (per term / per year)
- The school does not publish a public, grade-by-grade tuition table for the 2026/27 (or 2025/26) academic year. Exact tuition amounts by year group (PK/Kinder, Lower School, Middle School, Upper School / Grade levels) and per-term or annual billing figures are issued by the school's Finance/Admissions office and appear in the official fee schedule provided with the enrollment contract. The school's annual financial reports show that tuition (mensalidades escolares) is the primary operating revenue, but those reports do not list individual student fee amounts.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- The school's publicly-available materials do not include a specific public billing calendar or the precise payment-term options for tuition (for example, number of installments, due dates, or early-payment discounts). Billing schedule, installment options, and late-payment terms are included in the enrollment agreement and communicated by the Finance/Admissions office at registration.

Boarding fees (if applicable)
- The school operates as a full‑time day school (PK–12) and does not list any boarding or residential program; there are no published boarding fees because boarding facilities are not part of the school's offerings.

Other costs and typical additional fees
- The school does not publish a full public list of ancillary fees. Common additional costs that families should expect to consider (and that many schools of this type commonly charge) include:
- enrollment/registration processing fee (charged at admission or re‑enrolment);
- school supplies and textbooks or a materials fee;
- school uniform (purchase or replacement);
- school meals / cafeteria charges if not included in tuition;
- transportation / bus fees;
- extracurricular program fees, arts and sports trips, and special events;
- external examination fees (e.g., AP or national exam administration fees) and optional testing costs.
- Whether any of the above are included in tuition or billed separately is specified in the official fee schedule and the enrollment contract provided by the school.

Refund information
- There is no publicly posted, detailed refund policy or table of refund rules (for withdrawal, mid‑term departure, or cancellation) available in the school's publicly-available documents. Refund and cancellation terms are set out in the enrollment contract and associated policies supplied at registration. The school's financial reports record "devoluções de taxas/mensalidades" as a financial line item but do not provide the contract-level refund terms.

Fee payment options
- The school accepts multiple payment methods for school-related finance activity; published school materials that describe payment of contributions and fundraising list accepted methods as credit card, checks, and bank transfers. These same payment methods are the standard options used by the school for financial transactions and are available for fee payments as arranged with Finance/Admissions.

How official fee figures and terms are provided
- Official, itemized tuition and fee amounts (per grade/year group), the billing calendar (per-term or monthly installment schedule), charges for uniforms/transport/meals, refund rules, and any applicable discounts or sibling adjustments are provided directly to applicants and enrolling families as part of the admissions/enrollment documentation and the enrollment contract; those documents contain the definitive figures and terms for the year of entry. Contact information for Admissions and Finance is published with the school's admissions materials.

Summary of search findings (brief):
- Publicly-available pages, application forms and recent annual reports do not contain a public, grade-by-grade fee schedule or published numeric tuition amounts for 2026/27 (or 2025/26). The school issues the official fee schedule, billing terms, refund policy and payment-plan options directly to prospective and enrolling families through Admissions and the enrollment contract. For admissions contact details and the application form, see the school's admissions pages and the downloadable application form.
Academics

Escola Americana de Belo Horizonte teaches American Curriculum, IB (PYP), IB (MYP), Advanced Placement (AP), Bespoke Curriculum.

Curriculum
EABH offers PK-12 education with three diplomas: the Brazilian diploma, the American diploma, and an international diploma through the International Baccalaureate (PYP and MYP) and the AP Capstone diploma. The school follows a northern hemisphere calendar (August to June). The language of instruction is English, with Spanish introduced as a curricular subject from grade 6 and Mandarin offered from grade 11. Portuguese is taught through a Brazilian program, and literacy occurs in both English and Portuguese. Class sizes are small: PK has 18 students; grades K through 12 have a maximum of 22 students. From Kindergarten through Grade 5, classrooms have two full-time teachers (one foreign, one Brazilian).

Student Teacher Ratio
Small class sizes: PK has 18 students and K–12 classes are capped at 22 students. From Kindergarten through Grade 5, classrooms have two full-time teachers (one foreign and one Brazilian).

Higher Education Progression
EABH provides college counseling for grades 11–12, guiding postsecondary planning for US and international universities through Brazilian and International College Prep programs. BridgeU is used as the central college-prep platform to build college lists, compare fit, and arrange virtual campus visits. Transcripts are prepared by the school and, for senior students, are routed through BridgeU to target schools. A Junior/Senior timeline, a College Counseling Corner, and practical resources support students and families through the application process.

Gifted and Talented
AP English and AP Calculus are offered for gifted and talented students. The program also includes the AP Capstone diploma.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Community and Service in the Middle Years Programme develops students' social and emotional growth. It builds sensitivity to the needs of the community and an awareness of the individual's role within the community. It fosters the willingness and the skills to respond to others' needs and promotes an altruistic attitude that enhances empathy and understanding across cultures. Intercultural awareness is central, promoting tolerance and respect that lead to empathy and understanding. Students engage in interactive experiences that enrich them emotionally, socially, morally, and culturally through service and engagement with diverse social environments.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Equal access is provided to all learners regardless of specific or special educational needs. Special Needs Workshops are part of the school's ongoing professional development.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The language of instruction is English. Literacy occurs simultaneously in English and Portuguese.

Mental Wellbeing
The Lower School emphasizes well-being as an integral part of its education, with a holistic approach that includes well-being across academics, the arts, physical education and character development. Neurodiversity Week and digital citizenship initiatives reflect ongoing attention to student mental wellbeing and inclusive practices.

Safeguarding
Child protection measures are described in the Annual Report; staff training on child protection took place in November 2023.
Parent Experience

History
EABH, the only American school in Minas Gerais, was founded in 1956 by a group of missionary parents and businessmen to provide education in the American tradition, teaching in English for Brazilian children and learners of other nationalities, and became a nonprofit private school owned by the Parents Association. Initially, classes were taught in a Brazilian school using Calvert correspondence courses, and as the school grew an official school body was organized under three qualified teachers. The correspondence courses were replaced by a curriculum based on American textbooks. In 1964 there were 39 students in grades 1–8; in 1966 EABH joined the Association of American Schools of South America, and in 1968 elementary and early childhood programs opened. In 1975 the school joined AdvancED, and in 1993 it was authorized as a Brazilian school offering the Brazilian High School Completion Certificate; today the program covers from early years through Upper School, awarding both the Brazilian and American diplomas, and in 2008 it was recognized as an IB World School.

Community
The EABH community participates in a range of school-wide events that involve families, students, and faculty. EABH hosted MINAS MUN I in 2023 and MINAS MUN II in 2024, including the Nationals Final Four. Cultural Week in May 2022 featured visual art displays and performances, and the Annual Dinner for the Future Program was held in 2022. Campus updates and seasonal events such as Halloween have also been part of community activities.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The school is a nonprofit private institution owned by the Parents Association.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The school sits on a green campus of approximately 24,000 m2. The campus provides a healthy environment for student development. The buildings include spacious classrooms for all disciplines, including Theater, Music, and Visual Arts. An indoor multi-sport gym, a natural grass field, and an outdoor court support athletic and outdoor activities. There are language laboratories, science laboratories, and technology laboratories, a restaurant, parking, a library with an international collection, other technological facilities, and three playgrounds.

Sports Facilities
An indoor multi-sport gym supports a range of athletic activities. A natural grass field and an outdoor court accommodate outdoor and field sports. The Hawks and Lady Hawks compete in local games and national championships. The athletics program emphasizes student-athlete development and teamwork.

Academic Facilities
Language laboratories, science laboratories, and technology laboratories are available. The campus offers spacious classrooms for all disciplines. Theater, Music, and Visual Arts spaces support arts education. There is a library with an international collection. There are other technological facilities.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Arts are an essential part of EABH's education, with Theater, Music, and Visual Arts classes. Theater, Music, and Visual Arts classes help students see the world in new ways and promote creativity, critical thinking, and aesthetic sensitivity. The Hawks and Lady Hawks teams compete in local games and national championships. The athletics program is expanding to offer a greater range of activities.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
EABH offers a complete PK-12 program with three diplomas: Brazilian diploma, American diploma, and an international program including IB PYP and MYP and AP Capstone. The academic calendar follows the northern hemisphere, running from August to June. The language of instruction is English; Spanish becomes curricular from 6th grade and Mandarin is offered from 11th grade; Portuguese is taught through mandatory subjects, and literacy is bilingual in English and Portuguese. PK classes have 18 students and K–12 classes are capped at 22; from K through Grade 5 there are two lead teachers in each classroom (one foreign, one Brazilian). The school operates as a non-profit association reinvesting tuition into education.

Arts & Creative
Arts are an essential part of EABH's education. The program includes theatre, music, and visual arts, designed to help students see the world in new ways and to promote creativity, critical thinking, and aesthetic sensitivity. Drama, Music, and Visual Arts are core strands with dedicated pages detailing the curriculum.

Cultural & Language
English is the language of instruction. Spanish becomes curricular from 6th grade, and Mandarin is offered from 11th grade. Portuguese is taught through mandatory subjects (Portuguese, Brazilian History, and Brazilian Geography) and literacy occurs in both English and Portuguese. The school is international, hosting students from more than twenty countries and employing a diverse faculty.

Social & Hobbies
StuCo is a student-led body where members are elected to represent students to the administration and to organize events and fundraising, promoting school spirit and community well-being. The National Honor Society chapter recognizes high-achieving students and emphasizes leadership, scholarship, service, and character. These programs foster student engagement, collaboration, and civic responsibility.

Community & Service
Community service involves planning and education to engage with family, peers, and external communities. It aims to develop sensitivity to community needs, awareness of the individual's role, willingness to respond to others, and altruistic attitudes. This intercultural consciousness fosters tolerance, respect, empathy, and understanding.

Leadership & Professional
Leadership development is supported by the National Honor Society, which emphasizes leadership, scholarship, service, and character. Student Council provides governance experience, with students serving as the voice of the student body and organizing events. College Counseling offers Brazilian and international college preparation, including BridgeU and a junior/senior timeline to guide university admissions.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
The athletics program has integrated academics with sports for 50 years, shaping well-rounded students. The Hawks and Lady Hawks compete in organized sports, with a focus on developing teamwork and social skills. There are plans to expand the athletic program to broaden opportunities and maintain high standards of achievement.
Languages

Language Provision
English is the language of instruction. Portuguese is taught through compulsory subjects within the Brazilian program. Literacy occurs simultaneously in English and Portuguese. From 6th grade, Spanish is a curricular subject and from 11th grade, Mandarin is offered.

Bilingual Teaching
The language of instruction is English. Portuguese is taught through compulsory subjects: Portuguese, History of Brazil, and Geography of Brazil. Literacy occurs simultaneously in English and Portuguese. From the 6th grade, Spanish becomes a curricular subject and, from the 11th grade, Mandarin is also offered.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Fill in the Application Form and send it to EABH together with one 3×4 cm photo and report cards/academic transcripts from the current year and the previous two years translated into English or Portuguese. A PDF Application is available for download. After submission, EABH reviews the materials. Upon approval by EABH, further instructions will be provided. 2. After approval, you will be contacted with the next steps for enrollment.
School Events
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