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The American School opened its doors to 162 students
on October 14, 1940. The process of founding the school
was initiated the year before by Galo Plaza Lasso,
President of Ecuador and later President of the OAS,
in conjunction with Mr. Boaz Long, the U.S. representative
to Ecuador.
They were joined by a group of founding Ecuadorian
families and the families of the U.S. diplomatic mission
and multinational companies. The founders of the school
were concerned with the fact that their children had
only two options for education: Roman Catholic schools
or the German school.
These families were interested in establishing a
school based on U.S. schools in which race and religion
were not impediments for learning.
Additionally, among the liberal families at that
time, there existed a strong desire to establish democratic
roots in a country that had lived under dictatorships
and military governments from the time of its independence.
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This vision has been maintained over the
years and the current students of the school
are still members of the leading families
of Ecuador.
The school has been vital in establishing
and maintaining democracy in Ecuador and has
among its graduates leading political leaders,
who have contributed to the country’s
stability.
The school has graduated a former president
of Ecuador, a former mayor of Quito, government
ministers, ambassadors, and CEOs of multinational
companies, among other dignitaries.
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A
cooperative of parents was formed at the school’s
initiation and was replaced by the Foundation
in 1988. SACS (Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools) accredited the school in 1948 and
experimental status was obtained from the Ministry
of Education in 1948, 1985 and finally in 1994.
The International Baccalaureate
Programme was implemented in 1991. Currently,
the school offers both the I.B. Middle Years Programme
and the I.B. Diploma Programme. The school has
had 3 different campuses and moved to its current
location in 1983. |
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