El Camino Academy

Address: Calle 221

52 – 02, Bogotá, Colombia. Located on the northern edge of Bogotá. The school serves an international community with families from many countries.

Pre-Kinder – 12th grade; high school comprises grades 9–12.

Interdenominational Christian school.

Nationalities represented include Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, United States, and Venezuela. About 96% of students are Colombian; the remainder are from foreign missionary and diplomatic families.

ELL assistance and a Learning Center are available to support students who need help with English or academics.

United States

Interdenominational Christian (evangelical)

School day runs 7:20 a.m. to 2:50 p.m., Monday through Friday, across 38–40 weeks with about 180 school days. Bible, PE, and electives meet 2–4 times a week; most core subjects meet five times per week; students typically take 8 classes daily (9th–12th grade can have around 10 per semester).

Transportation is provided with routes and monthly rates: Normal Route 515,600 COP per month per student; Route between Portal Norte and ECA 365,200 COP; Sabana Norte Route 552,000 COP.

U.S.-based curriculum is used for pre-kinder through high school, with the option for students to meet Colombian high school diploma requirements. Bible, physical education (PE), and fine arts electives are integrated for all students. Preparation for Advanced Placement (AP) exams is offered based on student interest and staff availability. Secondary class periods are 45 minutes, and most core subjects meet five times a week; Bible, PE, and electives meet two to four times weekly. All graduates receive both American and Colombian high school diplomas.

Current student body is about 400 with an average class size of 21 students from Pre-Kinder through 12th grade.

Advanced Placement (AP) preparation is offered according to student interest and staff availability.

The school aims to assist parents in providing for the spiritual, social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth of their children. The school environment is a safe space that is active and engaging, welcoming and positive, and structured and predictable. Instruction is grounded in biblical principles, with teachers committed to modelling Christ-like character and guiding students in applying truth across subjects. Bible study, physical education, and fine arts electives are integrated into the curriculum for all students. All grade levels participate in service projects and in mentor/disciple relationships to foster leadership and responsibility.

The school uses a U.S.-based curriculum taught in English and awards both a U.S. high school diploma and a Colombian diploma. About 83% of students speak English as a second or third language. The school employs an early exit English immersion program; by first grade the only subject taught in Spanish is Spanish language, with English-native students receiving Spanish classes tailored to their level. From Pre-Kinder through 12th grade, the bilingual program supports language development alongside core academics. English language development is integrated with the standard curriculum so students can meet both national and international requirements.

General objectives include spiritual, social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth. The school environment is described as a safe space that is active, engaging, welcoming, and structured. The ECA Prayer Center provides a channel for prayer requests. Discipleship and small-group mentoring relationships support student growth, and biblical principles inform the overall educational approach.

The Child Protection Policy states that the Bible presents children as gifts from God and that adults bear the responsibility to protect them; their emotional or physical vulnerability should never be violated. Children have the right to protection from harm, and staff are trained to take appropriate corrective action when necessary. ECA rejects any form of abuse or violence toward children and adolescents and prohibits inappropriate sexual contact. Prevention includes background checks on all personnel, mandatory training on sexual abuse awareness bi-annually, and annual child-protection training for staff, along with safeguarding procedures for supervision, reporting suspicions, and maintaining safe environments on campus.

Standard admissions requirements: At least one of the two parents must be an active member of an evangelical Christian church; Applicants to prekinder must be 4 years old by August 7 of the year in which they are applying for admission; Applicants to grades K-12 must demonstrate grade-appropriate proficiency both academically and in English language skills; Family must be able to assume educational costs; Parents must have a basic/intermediate English proficiency level and be willing to work toward improvement.

The Martinez Scholarship History describes a school-based scholarship established by the Martinez family to bless El Camino Academy graduates. Martinez Scholarship applicants go through a rigorous application process, and the winners receive monetary scholarships to help with first-year college expenses. Since 2009, 51 ECA graduates have received scholarships to help with the costs of their first year of college, with recipients studying in the United States, Colombia, and Europe in fields such as nursing, international business, design, chemistry, aerospace engineering, global studies, and more. The Martinez Family continues to support El Camino graduates with these scholarships.