Location:

Panama, Panama

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

High School

Term:

Academic Year, Fall Semester, Spring Semester, Summer

Program Overview

Program Description:

AFS (formerly the American Field Service) is a leader in intercultural learning and offers international exchange programs in more than 40 countries around the world. We've been exchanging students throughout the world for 60 years. That is six decades of history and experience in international education with an exemplary record of safety, security, and service to students, parents, and educators.

AFS Mission: AFS-USA works toward a more just and peaceful world by providing international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals, families, schools, and communities through a global volunteer partnership.

AFS offers year, semester, and summer programs to destinations throughout Panama. AFS is currently offering hundreds of scholarships for students flexible with their country choice and ready for an adventure.

The warm and hospitable people of Panama will welcome you with open arms. The country's name comes from a Native American word meaning "place of many fish"... Students in Panama when it comes to extra curricular activities often play sports or join music bands. The grading system in Panama is different compared to the typical letter grading system we have here in the U.S. tale a look at their grading system. Outstanding: 4.5- 5.0 Good: 4.0- 4.4 Average: 3.5- 3.9 Failing: -3.0

Colleges recommend high school study abroad experiences - as these programs provide the opportunity to develop confidence and self-reliance before pursuing higher education. In addition, after exploring the world you may have a clearer vision of what you'd like to study in college. As a result, you may spend less time switching majors, which means you'll save time and money. An exchange program also boosts college applications and gives you an immediate advantage when applying for scholarships.

Plus, the language skills you develop on an AFS program might exempt you from required language courses, thus enabling you to finish college sooner. Some students have received as much as 18 hours language credit-almost enough to provide a minor in language and a huge financial savings when you figure the cost of credits.

Setting Description:

In Panama 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 Panama City, to the Chiriqui Highlands cloud forest, to the isolated San Blas Islands in the Caribbean, there's much to experience and learn in Panama.