What is an International Baccalaureate (IB) education?
Life in the 21st Century, in an interconnected, globalized world, requires critical-thinking skills and a sense of international-mindedness. The rigor and challenge inherent in the IB program facilitate the development of these skills in students who participate in the program.
International Baccalaureate (IB) programme aspires to help schools develop well-rounded students with character who respond to challenges with optimism and an open mind, are confident in their own identities, make ethical decisions, join with others in celebrating our common humanity and are prepared to apply what they learn in real-world, complex and unpredictable situations.
A full IB high school curriculum includes required courses in a second language, social studies, mathematics, and sciences, with exams at the end of the two-year program. Exams are marked by external IB specialists.
The Grande Prairie Composite High School is the first Alberta school north of Edmonton to offer the IB programme. As an approved school, our education program was developed to be academically challenging and balanced, with final examinations that prepare high school students for success at the University level and beyond.
We aim to inspire a quest for learning throughout life that is marked by enthusiasm and empathy. Our motto: Ignite Your Education!
When does IB Programming begin?
Students begin with IB Prep courses in Grade 10 and the IB Program officially begins in Grade 11. Prospective IB students may choose to attend Grande Prairie Composite High School in Grade 9, however there is no special programming until Grade 10. Students declare their IB exam choices October of their Grade 12 year.
Who should take IB?
At the GPCHS, the IB program is a program of rigor that is open to any motivated student who is characterized as being “intellectually curious”. They tend to demonstrate many of the qualities outlined in the IB Learner profile:
- Inquirer
- Knowledgeable
- Thinker
- Communicator
- Principled
- Open-minded
- Caring
- Risk-taker
- Balanced
- Reflective
