Mission Viejo’s Carl Hankey School Receives Full International Baccalaureate (IB) World School Authorization

School Becomes Orange County’s Only Public School to Offer
an IB Education for Students in Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade

MISSION VIEJO, Calif., Aug. 19, 2014 – Carl Hankey School, a K-8 public school in the Capistrano Unified School District, today announced that the school has achieved full authorization status as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School for both the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP). Carl Hankey School is now the only public school in Orange County to offer an IB curriculum to students from kindergarten to eighth grade.

The IB program positively impacts students, schools and their wider communities with learning going well beyond the classroom. Its unique and innovative approach to learning means both students and teachers are genuinely engaged with the programs and benefits from being a part of an unparalleled global network. Students are able to participate in international conferences and educators work with their peers internationally to ensure that the IB remains at the cutting edge of international education.

“We are pleased to offer our students a more holistic education which will instill in them the skills, knowledge, and outlook to succeed in the 21st century, both in their local community and in the wider world,” said Dana Aguilera, principal, Carl Hankey School. “Additionally, the IB program provides our teachers with an opportunity to be a part of an international network of experts leading the field in education. We are delighted to become an IB World School and we look forward to enjoying the many benefits of the program.”

“The IB is recognized across the world for its innovative approach to education,” said Drew Deutsch, Director, IB America, International Baccalaureate. “We strongly believe that it is important to place an equal focus on academics and other, transferrable skills, in order to best prepare students for success.”

“That Carl Hankey School has now successfully completed the authorization process and can now start offering the IB marks an exciting time for Carl Hankey School and more importantly, for the students who will benefit from an IB education,” Deutsch concluded.

The Primary Years Programme (PYP)
The IB PYP is a curriculum framework designed for students aged 3 to 12. It focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. It is defined by six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, explored using knowledge and skills derived from six subject areas, with a powerful emphasis on inquiry-based learning.

The Middle Years Programme (PYP)
The MYP is designed for students aged 11 to 16. It provides a framework of learning that encourages students to become creative, critical and reflective thinkers. The MYP emphasizes intellectual challenge, encouraging students to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and the real world. It fosters the development of skills for communication, intercultural understanding and global engagement – essential qualities for young people who are becoming global leaders. In addition, the MYP builds upon the knowledge, skills and attitudes developed in the IB PYP and prepares students to meet the academic challenges of the IB Diploma Programme.

About Carl Hankey K-8 School
Located in Mission Viejo, Carl Hankey is Orange County’s only IB public school serving school children from kindergarten through 8th grade. The school adopted the IB program in the 2009-10 school year and began training teachers and staff extensively in the curriculum; launching in full the 2010-11 school year. For more information please visit: www.chhawks.schoolloop.com orwww.carlhankeyfoundation.org.

About the International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate is a not-for-profit foundation, which offers four high quality and challenging educational programmes for a worldwide community of schools. For over 40 years, IB programmes have gained a reputation for their high academic standards, for preparing students for life in a globalized 21st century, and for helping to develop the citizens who will create a better, more peaceful world. Founded in 1968, currently there are more than one million IB students at 3,800 schools in 147 countries across the world.

For information about the number of IB World Schools and programmes offered in the United States, please visit:http://ibo.org/facts/schoolstats/progsbycountry.cfm. For further information about the International Baccalaureate please visit http://www.ibo.org.

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