OLM - Our Lady of Mercy American School

What OLM - Our Lady of Mercy American School does

OLM - Our Lady of Mercy American School (operating as OLM Rio) is a private Catholic American school located at R. Visconde de Caravelas 48 in the Botafogo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in 1951 and opened in 1952, the school is maintained by the Society of Our Lady of Mercy, an association founded in 1919 by English-speaking residents of Rio de Janeiro. OLM serves students aged 2 to 18 across four divisions — Pre-School (ages 2-5), Elementary School (grades 1-4, ages 6-9), Middle School (grades 5-8, ages 10-13), and High School (grades 9-12, ages 14-17) — delivering a dual-track American and Brazilian curriculum with Catholic values integration. The school holds multiple accreditations including Cognia, AMISA, College Board AP Capstone, Ignis, ICA, and Brazilian Secretaria de Educação approval.

The core academic product is structured by division, supplemented by the Learning Resource Center for second-language and special educational needs support, a state-of-the-art makerspace with 3D printers, laser cutters, drones, and VR glasses (Science & Arts program), the Lancers Athletics program, and an After School Activities Program. High School students access AP courses, AP Capstone research, ENEM preparation, college counseling, and a mandatory 100-hour volunteering requirement. The technology layer consists of third-party educational platforms (Schoology, IXL, Reading Eggs, Second Step, Edutec) accessed via the OLM Student Portal, rather than proprietary in-house systems.

OLM operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market: families enroll through the school website, complete an online registration form, schedule campus visits, complete interviews with advisors, and take placement tests starting from Elementary School. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring tuition and enrollment fees across the four divisions, with incremental recurring revenue from the After School Activities Program. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Marketing is conducted via the school website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, email newsletters, community events (Parish Fair, International Festival, Halloween, Festa Junina, STEAM Fair, annual musical productions), and the active PTA. Sibling family discounts and the K-12 pipeline support multi-year retention within a single campus.

Name

OLM - Our Lady of Mercy American School

Legal name

Our Lady of Mercy American School

Website

https://olmrio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

OLM is a private Catholic American school in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, serving students aged 2-18 across four divisions (Pre-School through High School) with an American-Brazilian dual curriculum, supported by tuition revenue, multiple international accreditations, and a single campus operating since 1952.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJABAG

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Private & Independent K–12 Schools

SECONDARYEDAJAGAB

English Learner (EL/ESL/ELL) & Bilingual Education Programs

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Special Programs (Gifted, ESL/ELL, Remedial, RTI/MTSS)

SECONDARYBPADAKAB

Early Childhood Development (ECD) & Pre-Primary Education

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Education & Skills Development Programs

SECONDARYEDAJAFAB

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment (School-Delivered)

Keywords

• Private k-12 education
• American curriculum school
• Catholic education services
• College preparatory programs
• Dual language instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Enrollment Fees: Primary revenue from student tuition and enrollment fees for Pre-School through High School programs
2. After School Activities Program: Revenue from extracurricular activities offered after regular school hours

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OLM is a private Catholic American school offering Pre-School through High School education (ages 2-18) on its Botafogo campus in Rio de Janeiro. The school delivers an American curriculum integrated with Brazilian educational standards, supplemented by Advanced Placement courses, AP Capstone, ENEM preparation, university counseling, athletics, and an After School Activities program. Bilingual instruction in English and Portuguese is provided across all divisions.

Product overview

OLM - Our Lady of Mercy American School offers a comprehensive educational program across four divisions (Pre-School, Elementary School, Middle School, and High School) for students ages 2-18. The core academic offerings are structured by division, supplemented by specialized programs including the Learning Resource Center for students needing additional support, the Science & Arts program with a state-of-the-art makerspace, the Lancers Athletics program, and the After School Activities Program. High school students benefit from AP courses, AP Capstone, ENEM preparation, and university counseling. The school follows a dual-track approach combining American educational standards with Brazilian curriculum requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-School Division Early childhood education program for children ages 2-5 featuring play-based learning, phonics development, physical education, and arts in a safe, welcoming environment.
• Elementary School Division Rigorous academic program for grades 1-4 (ages 6-9) organized into thematic units and Project-Based Learning that enhances critical thinking, creativity, and empathy.
• Middle School Division Education for grades 5-8 (ages 10-13) emphasizing critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative learning through interdisciplinary projects and educational trips.
• High School Division Comprehensive secondary education for grades 9-12 (ages 14-17) offering AP courses, AP Capstone Program, ENEM preparation, international programs, and mandatory 100-hour volunteering.
• After School Activities Program Safe, supportive, and enriching environment offered after regular school hours providing homework help, arts, and sports activities.
• Lancers Athletics Program Athletics program integral to the educational experience representing the school in interscholastic events, competitions, and tournaments, supported by the Lancers' Booster Club.
• Science & Arts with Makerspace Integrated science and technology program featuring a state-of-the-art makerspace with 3D printers, laser cutters, drones, and virtual reality glasses, alongside arts programs encompassing music, visual arts, and theater.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mandatory 100 hours of volunteering required for graduation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hemocione and HemoriominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Blood donation partnership with local blood banks for community blood donation day events
• PUC (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025University partnership for Augmented and Virtual Reality workshop for High School students in Digital Technologies and AI & Careers
• CogniacoreOthersInternational accreditation organization providing educational quality certification and standards assessment for the school
• AMISAcoreOthersAssociation of American Schools in the Americas - membership provides networking and resources for American-style education institutions
• College BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvider of AP Capstone and AP courses, enabling students to earn college-level credits and conduct academic research
• IgnisminorOthersAccreditation partner shown in school logos
• ICAminorOthersAccreditation partner shown in school logos
• Secretaria de EducaçãominorOthersPartnership with Brazilian Secretary of Education for regulatory compliance

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Cognia (accreditor): International accreditation body whose quality standards OLM meets; ecosystem participant rather than competitor, but its accreditation framework is core to OLM's value proposition and an indirect driver of competitive positioning.
• AMISA (Association of American Schools in the Americas): Industry association of American international schools across the Americas of which OLM is a member; relevant ecosystem peer that signals OLM's standing among comparable American-style schools in the region.

Direct peers

• Lycée Français (French School) of Rio de Janeiro: French international school in Rio offering francophone K-12 programs; competes for the same expatriate and affluent Brazilian family segment that OLM targets with its English-medium offering.
• Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro (EARJ): American international school in Rio de Janeiro following a U.S.-style curriculum and IB programs; the most direct American-curriculum peer to OLM and competes for the same premium international-school segment in Botafogo/Barra.
• The British School, Rio de Janeiro: Long-established international school in Rio de Janeiro offering British curriculum alongside Brazilian programs; directly competes with OLM for expat and affluent Brazilian families seeking English-medium K-12 education in the same city.

Regional players

• Graded School (São Paulo): American international school in São Paulo offering U.S. curriculum and Advanced Placement; a strong regional comparably for OLM in terms of American-style college-prep model, although operating in a different metropolitan market.
• St. Paul's School (São Paulo): Premier Catholic international school in São Paulo offering British and IB programs with strong university placement; comparable in mission, scale, and premium positioning, though geographically separate from OLM's Rio market.
• International School of Curitiba: English-medium international school in southern Brazil offering American-style and IB programs; comparable in dual-language K-12 offering and AP/IB mix, but serves a different Brazilian geography than OLM.

Emerging players

• Colégio Bandeirantes: One of São Paulo's leading bilingual/STEAM-focused K-12 schools; relevant peer for OLM's STEAM/makerspace positioning and bilingual college-prep model, though operating primarily in São Paulo.
• Maple Bear Canadian School (Brazil network): Brazil-wide network of bilingual Canadian-model K-12 schools; competes for the same dual-language English/Portuguese private-school demand that OLM serves in Rio, though typically at smaller per-campus scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@olmriooficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/olmrio?locale=pt_BR
• Instagraminstagram.com/olmriooficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/olm-our-lady-of-mercy-american-school

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OLM - Our Lady of Mercy American School