IB Philosophy
International Baccalaureate Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
As Commanders, we are advocates of our passions, challengers of inequity, and champions of change. We find P.R.I.D.E. (Professionalism, Respect, Inclusion, Dedication, and Excellence) in shaping a more inclusive global community and taking command of our role within that world.
Program Overview
The International Baccalaureate Programme was established in 1968 with the aim to "to provide a challenging and comprehensive education that would enable students to understand and manage the complexities of our world and provide them with skills and attitudes for taking responsible action for the future. Such an education was rooted in the belief that people who are equipped to make a more just and peaceful world need an education that crosses disciplinary, cultural, national and geographical boundaries."
At the root of the IB education is the IB Learner Profile. "IB learners strive to become inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective. These attributes represent a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond intellectual development and academic success. They imply a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them. IB programmes aim to increase access to the curriculum and engagement in learning for all students.
Promoting open communication based on understanding and respect, the IB encourages students to become active, compassionate, lifelong learners. An IB education is holistic in nature—it is concerned with the whole person. Along with cognitive development, IB programmes address students’ social, emotional and physical well-being. They value and offer opportunities for students to become active and caring members of local, national and global communities; they focus attention on the values and outcomes of internationally-minded learning described in the IB learner profile."
At John F. Kennedy High School, we offer students the opportunity to participate in the Diploma Programme (DP) over the course of their junior and senior years. JFK is one of only 33 high schools within Colorado, and of only 3 in DPS, with this distinction as an IB World School. The DP places a focus on six subject areas in conjunction with the DP Core: Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), and the Extended Essay (EE). Through this combination of coursework and personal development, students reflect on their learning and development as a whole person.
Kennedy students are able to enroll in the full DP program, in the pursuit of the IB Diploma; or, students may register for individual courses based on interest. Based on the completion of their coursework and the results of their IB subject exams, full-time DP students have the potential to earn both the IB Diploma and college credit. Students enrolled in individual courses have the potential to earn college credit only.