ABRACE’s educational and cultural programs are designed for children, teenagers, and adults who have a connection to the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture. All classes are taught 100% in Portuguese. Therefore, students should be able to understand at least basic everyday conversations in Portuguese.

If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact our School Director at abrace.diretoriaescolar@gmail.com before completing the registration form. She will be happy to provide guidance and help determine the most appropriate program.

Explore Our Programs

Find the program that best fits your family! Before registering, we invite you to visit the individual program pages under the Programs menu, where you will find detailed information about each program's objectives, age groups, and other important details.

ABRACE offers:

• Little Ones Gathering (Encontro dos Pequenos): for children ages 0–2 and their families.
• Portuguese as a Heritage Language (PHL): for children ages 2–14.
• Portuguese as a Foreign Language: for adults.
• Youth Volunteer Program (ProJov): for teenagers.

Fall 2026 Registration

Registration for the Fall 2026 semester opens:

• July 20, 2026: Returning students from the previous semester.
• August 1, 2026: New students.

Registration closes on August 26, 2026.

Classes are formed based on enrollment demand. We strive to accommodate students at different proficiency levels, provided that a minimum of 8 students per group is reached.

Location

McLean, Virginia

Class Schedule

• Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (all classes except the Curumins class for 2-year-olds)
• Saturdays, 10:00–11:00 a.m. (Curumins class – 2-year-olds)

First day of classes: September 5

Last day of classes: December 12

Academic Calendar: Click here

Class Duration

• 2 hours: Regular Saturday classes for all in-person groups (except Curumins).
• 1 hour: Curumins class (2-year-olds).
• 3 hours: If make-up classes become necessary, sessions may be extended to three hours for students ages 3 and older.

Registration Deadlines, Tuition & Payment

Registration Periods

• July 20–31, 2026: Registration open exclusively for returning students, on a first-come, first-served basis.
• August 1–22, 2026: Registration open to everyone, including new families.
• After August 22, 2026: Applicants will be placed on a waiting list and contacted if space becomes available.

Registration Fee

(Included with the tuition invoice)

• New student: $40
• Returning student: $25
• Adult student: $25

Tuition

Registrations completed by August 22, 2026

• $365 – Curumins (2-year-olds)
• $515 – Children ages 3–5
• $485 – Children ages 6 and older
• $485 – Adult classes

Registrations completed August 23 or later

(5% late registration fee included)

• $383.25 – Curumins (2-year-olds)
• $540.75 – Children ages 3–5
• $509.25 – Children ages 6 and older
• $509.25 – Adult classes

Payment Options

Full Payment

• Registrations completed by August 22 must be paid no later than August 31, 2026, to secure enrollment and avoid late fees.
• Registrations completed on or after August 23 must be paid within five (5) days of invoice issuance.

Installment Plan

Registrations completed by August 22 may be paid in two installments, due on:

• August 31, 2026
• September 30, 2026

A 5% installment fee will be added to the tuition amount and included, together with the registration fee, in the first invoice.

Registrations completed on or after August 23 are not eligible for installment payments and must be paid within five (5) days of invoice issuance.

Late Fees

Payments not received by the due date will incur a 5% late fee. An additional 5% penalty will be added every 30 days that the balance remains unpaid.

Refunds & Cancellations

Withdrawals must be communicated by email to abracebrasil@gmail.com.

Tuition (or any installment already paid) will be refunded only for cancellation requests received by August 31, 2026.

Cancellation requests received on or after September 1, 2026, are not eligible for refunds.

Discounts

ABRACE offers:

• 10% tuition discount for the second enrolled child.
• 15% tuition discount for the third and each additional enrolled child.

These discounts do not apply to registration fees, extracurricular activities, and may not be combined with other discounts.

Children of teachers who work at least 80% of the semester receive a 30% tuition discount. The same discount applies to each eligible child regardless of the number of children enrolled and may not be combined with other discounts.

Members of the ABRACE Board of Directors, the Executive Director, the School Director, and volunteer coordinators of the Library and ProJov programs are also eligible for a 30% tuition discount for their enrolled children.

Parents of ABRACE students receive a 5% tuition discount on ABRACE's Portuguese as a Foreign Language classes.

Registration Process

Step 1 – Complete the appropriate registration form

Please select the registration form corresponding to the student's age group.

Step 2 – Submit Payment

By completing the registration form, families commit to paying the program tuition.

Within seven (7) days, an invoice will be sent to the email address provided on the registration form. Payments may be made online using a credit card, debit card, or ACH bank transfer.

The payment platform is secure, does not store personal financial information, and immediately sends a payment confirmation to the same email address.

Important

• The individual listed as the Parent/Guardian assumes financial responsibility for the semester. This name will appear on the invoice.
• If you do not receive the invoice within seven (7) days, please check your Spam or Junk folder. If you still cannot locate it, contact our Accounting Assistant immediately at abracebilling@gmail.com.
• Enrollment is confirmed only after payment is received by the applicable deadline.
• Families with outstanding balances will not be permitted to register for a new semester until their account has been brought current.

Class Placement

After the registration form is submitted, families of new students will be contacted by a member of our educational team to discuss the student's background and recommend the most appropriate class placement.

If you have specific questions, please contact the School Director at abrace.diretoriaescolar@gmail.com.

Whenever possible, students are placed according to their age group, promoting stronger peer connections and allowing instruction that better reflects their developmental stage and shared interests.

Returning students generally continue with the same cohort as they advance to the next level. Class promotions occur during the Fall semester, following the American school calendar.

Although we welcome students with different levels of Portuguese proficiency, our program is specifically designed for heritage language speakers—students who already have some familiarity with Portuguese, even if only at a basic level. Therefore, students should be able to understand simple everyday conversations in Portuguese.

• Children's and Youth Classes: Minimum of 8 students and maximum of 12 students per class, based on paid enrollment.
• Adult Classes: Minimum of 8 students required.

Families interested in trying the program may schedule up to two trial classes with the School Director after the second week of classes, subject to space availability.

Please note: If a class is canceled because the minimum enrollment is not met, all tuition paid will be refunded in full.