Discover Our Story
Some things you only understand once they’re done. On August 6, 2004, Howard Academy opened its doors on what was then a half-empty stretch of land west of Panama City: a former military base handed back to the country.
Before This Was Panamá Pacífico
This place once had another name. It was Howard Air Force Base, United States military territory. A closed, self-sufficient community tucked into the western edge of the city.
That’s where a Panamanian teacher began to understand what teaching really meant.
Then came years abroad. Puerto Rico. Then Germany, where she lived through September 11 from a school classroom in Hanau and understood, all at once, that the world can change in a single morning. When she came home to Panama for good, she brought all of that with her: teaching experience in three countries, the weight of what she had seen and a question she couldn’t ignore.
What happens to the children of this area when the military leaves and the community starts to grow?
That question became the school.
There was no fancy market study. There were no investors. There was a director with international teaching experience, an available building and the belief that the west side of the city deserved quality education from day one.
Howard Academy was the first school founded in Panamá Pacífico. That isn’t a marketing detail. It’s the backdrop to everything that came after.
Mission
To provide a well-rounded, trilingual, purpose-driven education that shapes people able to think, create and lead in a fast-changing world, from early childhood through high school.
Values
Our Core Values are aligned with the vision of the dreamers: “Scientia Potentia est.” Our goal is to encourage and equip our children to be eager to pick up a book and read.
Vision
To be the leading school in Panamá Pacífico and the west side of the city, known for the strength of its graduates, the honesty of its methods and its real commitment to every family that chooses us.
What We Found Along the Way
There were times when almost everything was up for debate. Resources, plans, even certainty about where we were headed. But some things didn’t move an inch through the hard years.
That every child has the right to have someone truly believe in them. That character isn’t declared in a handbook. It’s built in the daily life of the classroom. That belonging to a school community is also a form of responsibility. And that knowledge, when shared with real purpose, doesn’t just open doors. It changes the whole path of a person’s life.
“Scientia Potentia est.” We knew it in 2004. Twenty-two years later, we’re still betting on it.
Global Partnerships
Howard Academy is a Panamanian educational institution authorized and recognized by the Ministry of Education (MEDUCA). Howard Academy also has partnerships with Fundación Inclusiva and DAYU Primary School in Beijing, China. These partnerships provide school support and access to new teaching practices, help us recruit highly qualified staff, allow our students to participate in cultural and educational exchanges with our sister school in China, and give them opportunities to experience the world.
Dónde estamos hoy
In 2026, Howard Academy is in the accreditation process with Cognia, the international education accreditation organization with more than 125 years of history. We aren’t seeking it for a seal. We’re seeking it because we believe continuous improvement is the only honest way to repay the trust of the families who have chosen us for two decades.
We are members of AMCHAM. We take an active part in the country’s education associations. Building 42, the original building where it all started, is still home to Howard Kids, and we’ve grown enough that the detail now makes us smile.
Today, Panama Pacifico is home to thousands of families, multinational companies and a community with its own identity. Howard Academy was here before most of them. And we’ll still be here.
Educating with Purpose Since 2004.