Two Dwight Schools Named IB Open World Schools to Pilot Ground-Breaking Online IB Education

NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Two members of The Dwight Schools -- Dwight School New York and Dwight School London -- have been named IB Open World Schools by the International Baccalaureate to pilot a project that extends the IB Diploma Program courses to students who would otherwise be unable to access an IB education.

Only six participants were selected from nearly 3,700 IB World Schools to pioneer this ground-breaking program, offering students in the last two years of high school not currently enrolled in an IB World School the opportunity to take IB courses online.

"We want to eliminate geographical barriers and open doors to high-quality education around the world," said Stephen Spahn, Chancellor of Dwight School New York, The Dwight Schools, and a member of the IB Board of Directors. "Dwight Schools are proud to pilot IB online education. Dwight has long been committed to providing students with an IB education, known as 'the gold standard' worldwide, based on its challenging academic standards and rigorous assessments."

Founded in 1872 and located on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Dwight was the first school in the U.S. to offer the comprehensive IB curriculum for students from preschool–grade 12. It is also the oldest of The Dwight Schools, which has campuses and programs spanning three continents. Founded in 1972, Dwight School London was one of the first schools in the UK to offer the comprehensive IB curriculum for students from kindergarten–year 13.

"We couldn't be more delighted that two Dwight Schools were selected to help chart the course for increasing access to the vigorous IB Diploma Program through online pedagogy," said David Rose, Head of Dwight School London, currently the only IB Open World School in the UK. "The IB promotes international-mindedness and critical thinking, while preparing students to make our world a better place. This educational philosophy fits perfectly with the three pillars upon which all of The Dwight Schools are built: personalized learning, community, and global vision. The IB Diploma Program is recognized by colleges and universities worldwide for its academic rigor, and is often preferred by admissions officers for the breadth and depth of its curriculum."

"We are proud to forge connections with 'Link Schools' that don't offer the IB to provide exponentially more students worldwide, including those who are home-schooled, with the IB experience in conjunction with, or in addition to, their other transcript choices," Mr. Rose said.

Designed by the IB and the UK-based online course developer Pamoja Education, Limited, the Diploma Program courses are teacher-led by experienced IB faculty with special training in online education. These highly interactive courses encourage meaningful collaboration within a small online cohort of students from around the world, allow students to study at their own pace, and teach them to learn and work effectively in a virtual environment using the latest Web technologies. 

To enroll in Dwight's online IB Diploma Program courses, contact Jaya Bhavnani at [email protected].

More About The Dwight Schools 
The Dwight Schools are dedicated to igniting the spark of genius in every child. With campuses and programs in New York, London, Seoul, Beijing, and on Vancouver Island, The Dwight Schools educate 2,000 students representing over 40 countries. Graduates attend such leading colleges and universities worldwide as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, NYU, Oxford, and the University of Edinburgh.

SOURCE Dwight School