Program Details
| Program Length | Start | End | Gateway | Age on Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | AUG 19-21 | JUL 7-11 | Miami | 15.6-17.1 |
| Semester | AUG 19-21 | JAN 28-30 | Miami | 15.6-17.1 |
| Summer Language Study | Late June | Late July | Miami | 15-18 |
| Summer Homestay Plus | Late June | Late July | Miami | 15-18 |
| Summer Community Service/Team Mission | JUN 24-26 | JUL 28-30 | Miami | 15-18 |
Age Explanation: Age on Departure reflect both the years and month(s) of the age of the applicant at the start of the program. For example, if the age is listed as 16.1 the applicant should be 16 years and 1 month at departure. For a more detailed look at age ranges see Programs-at-a-Glance.
Panamá Details
The warm and hospitable people of Panamá will welcome you with open arms. The country’s name comes from a Native American word meaning “place of many fish,” and here you’ll find beaches of unparalleled beauty with coral gardens lining their shores and rainforests with exotic animals and rare birds everywhere. Mestizos, people of mixed Native American and European descent, make up 70 percent of the population, but the country is also home to seven different indigenous groups and boasts sizable West Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and American populations. From the cosmopolitan financial center of Panamá City, to the Chiriqui Highlands cloud forest, to the isolated San Blas Islands in the Caribbean, there’s much to experience and learn in Panamá.
Year and Semester Programs
You’ll attend school from March through December, which will likely consist of 10 to 14 subjects in the sciences, humanities, or business. Each day of the week offers a different schedule of subjects. You will attend mostly lecture-style classes. While homework is taken seriously, there are also many extracurricular activities like sports (baseball, soccer, and basketball) and dance, providing you with the opportunities to make friends. AFS offers several trips to sites around the country, including the beaches, and there are two optional trips at an additional cost to the San Blas Islands and the Emberá Drua Indian Reservation. View PDF Brochure for Panama School Programs.
Summer Community Service and Language Study Plus Program
This program will help you understand the social, family, and cultural life of a small community in Panamá. You will volunteer in the community, learn Spanish, participate in recreational activities, and enjoy excursions to help you explore more of the country. After a two-day orientation in Panamá City, participants are placed in host communities in groups of eight to ten. You’ll stay individually with a host family, perform community service at local elementary schools in the morning, and attend Spanish class in the afternoon. Spanish classes are only for the first two weeks, then you’ll get to use what you’ve learned. Service activities could include making physical improvements to classrooms and other facilities. There’s also a one-day outing to an ecological site near Panamá City.
