Jardín:

8:00 am – 12:00 m (Regular Day)

12:00 m – 2:45 (Extended day – except Fridays)

Pre-Kinder – 4th grade:

7:45 am – 2:45 pm (Monday to Thursday)

7:45 am – 12:00 m (Friday)

Our cutoff date is August 31st. The ages for each course are:

• Pre-Jardin: 18 months-old
• Jardín 1: 2 years-old
• Jardín 2: 3 years-old
• Pre-Kinder: 4 years-old
• Kinder: 5 years-old
• First: 6 years-old
• Second: 7 years-old
• Third: 8 years-old
• Fourth: 9 years-old

English is the primary instructional language at Avante, except for Jardín 1 and 2, where there is a flexibility with instruction in Spanish. Religion, Signature Programs and Spanish classes are instructed in Spanish.

Our mission, vision and methodology have attracted outstanding faculty from all over the world. We are also joined by top local and national teachers.

All students will graduate with both American and Colombian diplomas.

Avante is seeking accreditation with NEASC (New England Association of Colleges and Schools, formerly called the Commission on American and International Schools Abroad (CAISA)).

A globally recognized standard of excellence, NEASC Accreditation attests to a school’s high quality and integrity.

The NEASC accreditation process encourages school improvement through a process of continuous Self-Reflection and peer review. The award of NEASC accredited status indicates that the member school has achieved high standards of professional performance and is committed to continuing growth and development.

We are committed to fostering a strong partnership between school and home and are proud of our highly engaged parent community. Parents are invited to events and support campus celebrations and classroom activities throughout the year. Our Parent pavilion is a welcoming hub on campus.

Avante families can choose if they want to take the student by private car or on a school route. We have adequate buses to offer a safe and pleasant route for our students, which will include air conditioning and the presence of an assistant. The bus route will be organized depending on the location of each of the students.

The profile of the student who wants to be part of Avante is a social, transcendent being, with a solid moral and ethical training. That together with excellent academics and the best options within the latest scientific advances, allows them to be leaders in the future world. See more of Avante family here.

In Jardín and Pre-kindergarten, students are not expected to be fluent in English. In kindergarten and above, a minimum grade-level English fluency requirement must be met to enroll. This will be measured by a language proficiency screening and reviewed by the admissions committee. In some cases, students will be accepted contingent upon them gaining the necessary proficiency prior to enrollment.

Yes. Family recommendation letters are required, preferably from one of our Avante families or families from Cartagena. If you do not have these options available, you may submit references of the company where you work.

Additionally, starting in 1st Grade, we also ask for one recommendation letter from a teacher. 

Yes, Avante offers a discount on tuition and fees for families with multiple children enrolled.

We use a pedagogical approach where students learn by doing, bringing the information established by the curriculum to be addressed to the creation of projects that are meaningful to them. Our approach fosters commitment, entrepreneurship and favors the development of modern learning skills.

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.

No, PBL has been around for several decades. Its results are documented and applied by leading schools around the world.

No, the concept is not understood in all of its complexities. Doing projects is not the same as learning through a project based learning model. Transforming a traditional school to this methodology, in the correct way, takes more than 7 years and significant investments in staffing, infrastructure and professional development.

Students will need to reinforce key foundational skills such as, reading, writing and maths, at home. This is done through practice of strategies taught at school and reinforced with families at home. Our students will have the motivation and interest to continue with their projects, which will lead them to have the initiative to continue working at home.

• Literacy (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening) in both English and Spanish
• Maths
• Natural Sciences
• Social Sciences
• Health Fitness (physical education)
• Programming
• Visual Arts 
• Music 
• Religion 
• Theater
• Dance

• Jardín: 18 students to 3 adults
• PK – Kinder: 18 students to 2 adults
• 1st grade: 18 students to 1 adult
• 2nd grade – 4th grade: 22 to 24 students to 1 adult

For students from Pre-Kinder onwards, nutricious lunches are provided at the school for those that acquire our food plan. Snacks on the other hand should be brought from home.

Jardín students will receive a light snack during their school day. Lunch will be at home for those enrolled in the regular schedule and at the school for those in the extended schedule with meal plan.

Avante will be seeking the following accreditation in the next few years:

• NEASC (New England Association of Colleges and Schools): Formerly called the Commission on American and International Schools Abroad (CAISA). A globally recognized standard of excellence, NEASC Accreditation attests to a school’s high quality and integrity. The NEASC accreditation process encourages school improvement through a process of continuous Self-Reflection and peer review. The award of NEASC accredited status indicates that the member school has achieved high standards of professional performance and is committed to continuing growth and development.

• CIS (Council of International Schools): A community that works collaboratively to shape international education through professional services to schools, institutions of higher education and individuals. CIS accreditation reflects that the school has achieved the highest professional standards in international education and is committed to continuous improvement.

We are part of the Golden Circle Schools, a community of schools founded by Dr. Frank Locker and the founders of Gimnasio los Caobos. We are a community of schools that share the same mission, vision, and methodology. At this time, Gimnasio Los Caobos, located in Bogota, is also part of the community, the intention is to have an increasingly wider community, having more schools in different cities of Colombia.

At Avante we respect freedom of worship, accepting families of different religions as long as they share our same values. However, given most of the Colombian population is Catholic, the school offers the opportunity for students to prepare for 1st communion and confirmation through our optional Catholic Religion classes.