The International Baccalaureate (IB) was established in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1968 to provide an internationally acceptable university admissions qualification suitable for the growing mobile population of young people whose parents were part of the world of diplomacy, international and multi-national organizations. In 1994 the Middle Years Programme (MYP) was introduced to further support student learning and achievement.
There are currently 7,500+ IB programs offered worldwide across 5,500 schools in 160 countries. In addition, there are more than 3,300 universities that recognize the IB with official policies for admitting IB-DP students to their courses.
The MYP is a challenging framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world. It is open to any student aged 11 to 16, at schools that have been authorized to implement the programme. The MYP is inclusive by design; students of all interests and academic abilities can benefit from their participation.
The IB's programmes are different from other curricula because they:
- encourage students of all ages to think critically and challenge assumptions
- develop independently of government and national systems, incorporating quality practice from research and our global community of schools
- encourage students of all ages to consider both local and global contexts
- develop multilingual students.