It’s Official: Brooklyn Friends to Offer International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program in September
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization has authorized Brooklyn Friends School to offer the IB Diploma Program. A premier academic curriculum for high school juniors and seniors around the world, the program will begin at BFS in September 2007.
“This authorization is the result of close to three years of planning, discussion, and faculty professional development,” said Head of School Michael Nill. “I am very grateful to Vladimir Malukoff, the school's IB Diploma Program Coordinator, Upper School Head Roxanne Zazzaro, and to all the faculty whose hard work brought us to this milestone in our school’s history.”
The IB diploma curriculum will be an elective program for students in grades 11 and 12. The choice to take the diploma program is made by students and their families at the end of their sophomore year. There is no special IB track in grades 9 and 10. As the IB organization sees it, the program is suitable for a range of learners who are organized and academically ambitious. Currently offered in 1,571 schools around the world (553 of these in the United States), the IB diploma is universally recognized for the highest academic standards and for providing solid preparation for university work.
Students choosing the program take IB courses in six subject areas: English, foreign language, mathematics, science, history, and one of the arts. At the core of the program are three additional components: an independent study in an area of special interest that culminates in an extended essay; an interdisciplinary course known as Theory of Knowledge, which bridges all the IB courses; and a 150-hour requirement in community service and co-curricular activities.
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THE IB MISSION STATEMENT: “The International Baccalaureate Organization aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help create a better and more peaceful world through inter-cultural understanding and respect. To this end the IBO works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment. These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.”
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IB schools share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Brooklyn Friends believes is important for our students. As Dr. Nill puts it, “Our students have always been asked to look at the world through the widest lens. They are encouraged to take risks, gain confidence through self-knowledge, and develop strong communication skills, including learning second and third languages.”
He continued, “The program will facilitate student exchanges, participation in study-abroad opportunities, and matriculation in universities abroad. The external assessments that are part of this program provide an accountability measure that will ensure that the school’s curriculum continues to be strong and competitive in all subject areas.”
Founded in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland, the International Baccalaureate Organization is a non-profit educational foundation that works to facilitate the international mobility of students preparing for university by providing schools with a curriculum and diploma recognized by universities around the world.