Ogden is the First and Only School District in Utah to Offer an International Baccalaureate Program for Kids in All Grades

Ogden is the First and Only School District in Utah to Offer an International Baccalaureate Program for Kids in All Grades
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Ogden offers International Baccalaureate Program for Kids in All GradesAs part of our ongoing commitment to student excellence, the Ogden School District introduced the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program for all grades beginning in the 2021-2022 school year.

This program is considered one of the most respected academic programs in the world. The effort to provide this program to all grades before high school indicates our efforts for academic excellence for all children and youth. We are confident that students within the district will continue to rise to the challenge of meeting their boundless potential through the IB Program.

What is the IB Program?

A school that is a part of the IB Program is part of an international community of teachers and students that share a mission of student empowerment through shared knowledge, skills, and values needed to build a better world. 

Ogden School District’s adoption of the IB Program aims to provide an educational environment that enables critical thinking and problem solving to address issues that affect the global population through responsible action. This program is an effort to reach across borders through educational achievement and community. 

The heart of this program is the IB Learner Profile, consisting of ten desired attributes each student seeks to develop as they progress through the IB Program:

  • Balance

  • Thinking

  • Principled

  • Open-Mind

  • Knowledgeable

  • Communication

  • Caring

  • Risk-Taking

  • Reflection

  • Inquirer

These attributes concern a student’s entire well-being, helping them become well-rounded individuals ready to take on the issues facing a global society. Educators help develop these attributes during the entire time a student is a part of the IB Program. 

Also read: Why a Fully Accredited School System Is Important

Why is the IB Program Important?

Ogden School District’s goals align closely with the principles of the International Baccalaureate Program. 

These principles of an inclusive education include recognizing education access as a human right, and that education is enhanced by creating affirmative, responsive environments that promote safety, belonging, self-worth, and growth for each student.

These goals are accomplished through educators who know and understand that they are an educator for all students. A student’s best learning is done through their strengths and by connecting with and building upon previous knowledge. 

These strengths are also built upon a community where students have a voice, are listened to, and their insights and input are seriously taken into account. This allows all students to experience success, which is a crucial component of learning in and out of the classroom.

What IB Programs Are Offered for Elementary and Junior High Students?

Beginning the 2021-2022 school year, Ogden School District has expanded the IB Program to include students at T.O. Smith Elementary School with the IB Primary Years Program and Mount Ogden Junior High School with the IB Middle Years Program. These programs are available to all students regardless of where they live within the district.

IB Primary Years Program (PYP)

This program offered to elementary school students promises the goal of turning your student into a lifelong learner. 

The PYP inspires a natural curiosity and learning in a creative, supportive, and collaborative environment. This helps them understand a complex and independent world by creating meaning for themselves. 

Students within the PYP are effective communicators and learn to communicate in more than one language. This teaches them how to learn, and it also encourages viewing the world through a global lens and from different perspectives. 

 

PYP Students are also taught to make appropriate choices and take accountability for their actions. This gets them thinking about important issues and how to take action as individuals and as a community, inspiring them to become caring and responsible citizens in their communities, their country, and the world. 

Also read: Ogden School District Career Pathways and No Cost or Low Cost College Credit

IB Middle Years Program (MYP)

The program offered to junior high school students builds upon the PYP by inspiring students to become lifelong learners through communication, research, self-management, collaboration, and other critical thinking skills. 

They learn by doing and experiencing through an MYP community project, teaching them to analyze and evaluate different issues to develop new ideas and consider different perspectives.

They will begin to explore global challenges more in depth while they learn to understand, not just memorize, important facts, figures, and dates. They will be trained to organize and plan their work, consistently meet deadlines, concentrate on their work, bounce back and persist from setbacks, and think positively about themselves, their work, and their outlook.

The MYP recognizes that the best learning occurs when subjects are not taught in isolation from each other. Students are encouraged to find connections between one subject and the next. This empowers them to develop their talents while preparing them for higher educational opportunities. 

IB Program Beyond Junior High

Students enrolled at Ogden High School will continue their IB education, building further on the foundation laid by the PYP and MYP.

By utilizing their critical thinking skills, they work to build themselves and one another for a future on the international stage, providing the foundation and building blocks for future leadership at the schools, businesses, and governments they find themselves involved in.

Your School District of Choice

Ogden School District is currently the only school district in Utah that offers the IB program through all grades.

Click here to learn more about the IB Program within the Ogden School district. If you or your child is interested in the IB program at any level, enroll today. We look forward to working with you on your child’s educational journey.