Pictured left to right: IB teacher Trevor Kielmeyer, IB boosters Laura Poland, Tim Poland, Fil Folden, Lori Jung, and Chris Arens; Westerville South Principal Steve Andersson; and IB boosters Ruth Watkins, Lauren Hoffman, and Ed Buggs.
A group of parent volunteers has come through in a big way to support the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, a challenging two-year curriculum available to all high school students in the Westerville City School District. The IB Boosters recently presented a check to Westerville Schools in the amount of $10,660, money which will be used to pay the 2013-2014 International Baccalaureate Registration Fee.
The Diploma Program, offered to all high school students but housed at Westerville South, requires pupils to finish coursework in six disciplines; complete a minimum of 150 hours in Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) activities; complete a minimum 4,000 word research essay on a topic of their interest; and participate in a Theory of Knowledge class. Students can also elect to take coursework in two or more classes without completing the full diploma program.
IB was brought to Westerville in 2005 in an effort to set the district offerings apart and to widen the spectrum of college readiness programs offered. It was established internationally in 1968 and offers specified teacher training, curriculum standards, and internationally measured testing.
The Westerville City Schools International Baccalaureate (WSIB) Fund Committee was established in January 2012. Money raised by the group is given to the district in order to provide operational funding for many components of the IB program budget, including annual fees paid to the International Baccalaureate Organization, financial assistance to IB families who need help to offset fees charged for registration and testing, and postage charges for international mailing of tests. Westerville City Schools is proud to have one of the largest IB programs in Ohio, with an exam passage rate well above international averages.