Ballena Academy

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Ideas, rituals & values

Journal

Rooted Education

Our point of view on how kids actually grow.

Teacher instructs student playing acoustic guitar in bright classroom overlooking landscape

What Small Classes Really Change for a Kid

Young boy concentrating while playing a yellow electric guitar in classroom

Concept-Based Learning: How Our Teens Learn to Think

Six staff members or older students smile in group photo against blue and green backdrop

Why We Don't Chase Rankings

Student in green jersey runs with basketball on gymnasium court overlooking jungle

What We Mean by Rooted Education

Rituals & Dialect

The small daily things that make a school a community.

Diverse group of students arranged in classroom, some holding a basketball

Bilingual by Living, Not by Drilling

Children display handmade decorative bags with adult in vibrant setting with carnival masks

Four Words That Run Our School

Group photo of children arranged in two rows, smiling at the camera

What It Means to Be a Ballena Kid

Musician plays keyboard before seated students gathered in large open courtyard

Why Every Ballena Day Starts With a Morning Meeting

Young children gathered around a wooden table in a bright classroom

What the Comedor Taught Us About Belonging

Place as Classroom

Learning that looks like where it happens.

Students running during relay race with colorful balls on gymnasium floor

Why Our Multi-Day Expeditions Matter More Than Any Test

Large school assembly gathered in gymnasium with students seated and teachers facilitating activity

What Counting Bats Taught Our Students About Science

Children and adult wearing festive costumes and masks against bright red backdrop

A Classroom With No Walls: Days With the Boruca Community

Students learning at an educational farm with animals and hands-on activities

Beach Clean-Ups as Curriculum

School assembly in covered outdoor structure overlooking jungle with holiday performance on stage

Education That Looks Like Where It Is

Parent Community

Belonging for the whole family, not just the kids.

Teacher and children performing on gymnasium floor with Costa Rican flag

Why Community Is the Part of School No One Puts in the Brochure

Seven school staff members stand together against blue and green backdrop

What the Parent Community Is Really Like at Ballena

Children performing choreographed dance routine on stage in colorful costumes

The Thing Families Miss Most When They Leave a School Isn't the Academics

Group of students and teacher posing together indoors holding up pasta decorations

Finding Your People After You Relocate

Relocating Family

Honest guidance for families making the move.

Twelve students in navy uniforms stand in line against white wall with celebratory poses

How to Choose an International School: Six Markers of a Real One

Five graduating students in blue caps and gowns hold flowers and smile at ceremony

We Moved for the Dream, Here's How We Knew the Kids Would Be Okay

Young child in black Minecraft shirt moves with arm extended on gymnasium floor

Will My Kids Fall Behind If We Move Abroad?

Diverse group of students gathered in bright classroom with solar panels and jungle backdrop visible

International Schools in Uvita and Costa Ballena: What to Look For

Female students in blue graduation gowns look upward at graduation ceremony

Switching From the US System to an International One: What Actually Changes

Twelve students in navy uniforms stand in line against white wall with celebratory poses

How to Tell a Real International School From a Good Brochure

Group of elementary and middle school students in casual clothing pose together against white wall

Moving to Costa Rica With Kids: An Honest Guide to Choosing a School

Practical & FAQ

The how-it-works details, answered plainly.

What's Included in Tuition (and What Isn't)

Large school assembly with families and community watching performance on stage

How Scholarships Work at Ballena (and Why ~30% of Families Attend Free)

Young students perform on gymnasium floor with holiday backdrop and decorated Christmas tree

Our School Year, Explained (and Why the Calendar Fits Relocating Families)

Six children playing basketball in a covered court beneath green fence backdrop

What a Week at Ballena Actually Looks Like

Come see it for yourself.

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