Making the move to Panama can be one of the best decisions of a lifetime... and there are some things that you can do to make the transition a much smoother  one.  

One suggestion is to join one or several of various social clubs available.  There are social clubs for just about every type of person in Panama, even the ones that  aren´t the "social club type".   

By joining and becoming active in  these clubs and organizations you get to meet a lot of people,  learn a lot of helpful tricks and facts about life in Panama, and in most cases make a real and positive difference in the local community.

These clubs vary from charitable organizations such as the Elks Lodge which focuses on helping the blind and offers several scholarships each year.   They also have monthly events which include 4th of July cookouts, Superbowl parties, and fairwell to dry season get togethers. 

Other charitable and non profit organizations include, but are not limited to:

The American Society which provides discounts to social events and sends out newsletters and notifications to members.

The Navy League which is a non profit military-oriented association dedicated to developing good community relations as well as to support the men and women of the sea services, and their families. 

The Abou Saad Shriners which is dedicated to the benifit of children.

Who´s new of Panama  whose primary purpose is to welcome newcomers to Panama,  provide assistance in orientation, promote friendships and culture among women of all nationalities and encourage participation in community activities. 

For those of you that are making the move to Panama with children, there are various English speaking schools to choose from.  

For the most part, the English speaking shools are located within, or on the outskirts of Panama City.  Some are based on a Brittish Curriculum and others on an American Curriculum.   

Most of the schools offer many extracurricular activities such as sports programs, college recruiting visits,  and multicultural fairs and activities.

For more details, please visit the shool websites:

Balboa Academy
Cross Roads Christian Academy
The Oxford School  * Brittish Curriculum
The International School of Panama
The Oxford International School * Brittish Curriculum

The City of Knowledge  * is an international complex for education, research, and innovation. It has been developed to promote and facilitate synergy between universities, scientific research centers, businesses, and international organizations. The City of Knowledge is governed by a private, non-profit organization, The City of Knowledge Foundation, which was created in 1995.