The International Baccalaureate Program (IB) is a worldwide curriculum that has earned the respect of colleges, educators, parents, and teachers across the world. North Atlanta has been an IB World School since 1982, the oldest of the schools that offer it in the southeast.
During sophomore year, students choosing to embark on the IB journey decide on one of two pathways, the Career Program (CP) or the Diploma Program (DP). Both pathways inspire in students a similar set of skills – confidence, communication, leadership, and curiosity – but their framework is far from the same.
First, the Career Program focuses on building career-based skills. Students are offered opportunities to combine both academic and professional interests in order to learn about and gain experience in a career path of their choosing. The nucleus of CP offers students an academic foundation while giving them opportunities to gain practical skills and real-world experience. The Diploma Program, however, addresses the intellectual and social side of education, and its main focus is developing students’ ability to learn and prepare them for higher education. DP focuses primarily on academics while CP combines academics with career-related training.
The DP pathway, known for its tough curriculum and cumbersome workload, is a path most students are hesitant to take. However, the rewards of completing such a revered curriculum include deep thinking, a knowledge of academics and education, and the confidence to do hard things; not to mention the fact that DP students tend to rise to the top of college admissions pools. According to a survey done by the International Insight Research Group, IB DP students’ acceptance rates were 22% higher than the non-DP population of students who applied to those same schools. Senior, Taylor Ryan, who enrolled in DP because she believed it could help her get into college said, “Colleges like good grades, but more than that they love to see you’ve pushed yourself in hard classes.”
The Career Pathway gives students a venue to explore career-related interests in the form of coursework. It does prepare students for higher education, but its central focus is to lead students to internships and employment. In order for CP students to earn their Diploma, they must take two IB Diploma courses as a part of their personal CP schedule. In theory, this provides the necessary rigor to earn an IB Diploma while also allowing enough time for students to investigate potential career interests. “As a CP student, I’ve engaged in ‘work-based learning,’ which is a program where I can gain experience in the workplace. It has sparked interest in future jobs for me,” said Senior Cecily Sullivan.
Whether students choose the Career or Diploma program, the hefty curriculum will teach them the valuable lessons of hard work, perseverance, and equanimity.
