What Is an IB Education Anyway?

In 1968, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme was created “to provide a challenging and comprehensive education that would enable students to understand and manage the complexities of our world and provide them with skills and attitudes for taking responsible action for the future.” In simpler terms, they wanted to grow students academically while creating better human beings who could positively impact our world.

I was in my 14th year of education and I had never really heard of an IB education. Having spent many years trying new programs, curriculum, strategies, etc… I have to admit, I was cautious when my district selected my school to become an International Baccalaureate World School. How was this programme any different than what we were already doing for students in our elementary school? The answer: A lot.

While the Diploma Programme started many years prior (11th and 12th grade), the Middle Years Programme (6th-10th grade) was established in 1994 followed by the Primary Years Programme (PreK-5th grade) in 1997. There were over 40 years of research and practical experience used to inform IB’s work and their core values. They created this programme with the belief that students should be active, life-long learners who can think critically rather than merely memorize facts. An IB education is very holistic in nature; it takes into account the whole child. While cross-curricular teaching (infusing math standards in science and language arts standards in social studies for example) and creating a challenging curriculum is crucial, there are also significant benefits to helping students become more open-minded, caring, reflective, etc.. which are some of the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. IB’s mission? “To develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.”

Reflecting on my time as a teacher and a school leader, I am most proud of helping a child become a better human being; not just smarter. And while it’s important to teach students the curriculum through experiences, problem-solving, inquiry, and real-world connections, it’s even more critical to support them in becoming well-rounded individuals who can make a positive impact on our world. Of course, parents want their children to succeed academically but I believe it’s even more of a win when they become kind, compassionate, and open-minded individuals.

A few more things you should know about the IB Programme:

Teaching and learning are done through INQUIRY, ACTION, and REFLECTION Students are taught the standard curriculum (math, science, social studies, and reading) through units of inquiry A foreign language is a requirement of an IB education; English, Spanish, or French Students are taught how to exemplify ten attributes of the Learner Profile which are: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-Minded, Caring, Risk-Takers, Balanced, and Reflective In the PYP, students learn about and use knowledge, concepts, and skills from a variety of subjects to explore six transdisciplinary themes of global significance (1. Where we are in place and time 2. How we express ourselves 3. How the world works 4. How we organize ourselves 5. Sharing the planet 6. Who we are) In the MYP, students study a range of subjects and often bring together two or more established areas of expertise to build new interdisciplinary understanding In the DP, students encounter a range of subjects, and through the creativity, action, service (CAS) component of the DP core may continue their own explorations of physical activity and the creative process. After completing the diplomacy programme, students can graduate with an IB Diploma.

Click below for helpful links explaining more about an International Baccalaureate Education:

Benefits of IB Education: https://www.ibo.org/benefits/benefits-for-students/

How IB is Different: https://www.ibo.org/benefits/why-the-ib-is-different/

Comparing IB with Other Qualifications: https://www.ibo.org/benefits/comparing-ib-with-other-qualifications/