Colegio Humboldt is a German international school in Pavas, San José, Costa Rica. It serves levels preschool through Abitur. The German School of Costa Rica was founded in 1912, and from 1956 on has beared the name "Colegio Humboldt - Schule". In its beginnings, it offered only the Kindergarten and Primary levels. Although it had to interrupt its work twice in those early days, due to the World Wars, the German community in Costa Rica made great efforts to have its own educational institution again, which is open to students of all nationalities up to the present. There are also a smattering of students whose parents came from other countries of Europe as well as from the United States, Colombia, Venezuela, and other countries of the American Continent. There is a scholarship program by which a certain number of students of high academic performance, with no German-related background, that previously attended other schools in Costa Rica, can enter in the 5th grade, every year. This program is called "Nueva Secundaria". Other than that, entrance begins at Kindergarten level with few exceptions. The school is trilingual with German and Spanish taught first. From the first day of Kindergarten, great importance is given to learning the German language, which is a new language for the vast majority of children. Through the immersion method, a natural and spontaneous learning of this language is sought. The teachers speak and communicate with the children during the day's activities exclusively in German. English is first introduced in Grade 5. By the time the students graduate, they are fluent in all three languages. Besides being an academically rigorous school which offers the Abitur, the German high school degree, to those who want to go after it, Humboldt is known for its profusion of extra-curricular activities and its impressive sports program and facilities that include an Olympic size swimming pool, a full size track and soccer field, and a professional theater, the "Humboldt Auditorium", which operation started in August 2018.
