IB Voices

Recorded live from the IB Global Conference in The Hague, keynote speaker Dr. Mo Olateju – fellow at the Centre for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution and founder of Nigeria’s TEP Centre – speaks with Tom Smith about systems transformation in education, and the importance of broadening students' life skills.

Recorded live in The Hague, Guillermo Duff, IB World Schools Manager, speaks with Camelia Constantinescu, DP and CP Curriculum Manager, on the subject of multilingualism. The pair examine the role of multilingualism in an IB education, and explore how schools can engage with the IB's evolving vision of language teaching and learning. This episode of IB Voices was originally recorded in October 2025.

Recorded at IB Day California, Matthew Davis, IB Coordinator at Granite Hills High School, speaks with Jared Phelps, DP Coordinator at Bonita Vista High School, about the Exhibition component of the IB's Theory of Knowledge course and how their work has brought schools and communities in California together.

Dans cet épisode d'IB Voices (Les Voix de l'IB en français), Rémy Lamon, Responsable confirmé du Service des écoles du monde de l'IB, accueille Anderson Vidal, Directeur de l'enseignement et de l'apprentissage et Coordinateur du Programme primaire (PP) à TFS, à Toronto (Canada). Anderson partage son parcours international, du Brésil au Canada, et son intense engagement auprès de l'IB depuis 2009. Ensemble, ils explorent les défis liés à la transition de l'enseignement traditionnel au Programme primaire de l'IB, l'importance de l'apprentissage centré sur l'élève, de la collaboration et de l'apprentissage qui passe par des essais et des erreurs. S'appuyant sur son expérience de plusieurs programmes nationaux, Anderson réfléchit au leadership, au développement professionnel et à l'évolution du cadre du PP, offrant ainsi réconfort et inspiration aux éducateurs qui naviguent dans le changement au sein de la communauté internationale de l'IB.

IB Coordinator Sheila Nguyen speaks with Gurnoor and Omar, sixth-year IB students at Centennial High School in Corona, California, about the school's first IB Day of Service and optimal approaches to service learning and community outreach.

Dr. Cherissa Vitter, Associate Professor of IB Education at Southeastern Louisiana University in the U.S., joins Keith Yi, Adjunct Professor at Inha University in the Republic of Korea, to discuss the International Baccalaureate Educator Certificate (IBEC) programme and how it leads educator growth and development around the world.To learn more about IBEC, visit ibo.org/professional-certificates

As communities observe Native American Heritage Day, Jennifer Aragon, Executive Director of the BC Association of IB World Schools, speaks with Dhana Matthews, DP Coordinator at Seaquam Secondary, Delta, about the IB in British Columbia and the integration of Indigenous perspectives.

Recorded live in The Hague, Youth Engagement Lead Katie Tracy speaks with Ecem, a member of the IB's inaugural Youth Advisory Council. Together they discuss some of the IB's most significant youth initiatives, including the HundrED Youth Ambassador Programme, IBlieve, and the new student-led council.

Senior curriculum manager Chantell Wyten speaks with experienced CP educator Marjorie Vautrin about how the Career-related Programme is evolving, and how it can empower more students to connect their studies with professional pathways.

Recorded live in New Orleans, IB adoption specialist Chad Lower speaks with Chris Downs of North Hagerstown High School (Maryland) about implementing the IB Career-related Programme (CP). Together, they explore how the CP benefits individual students and the opportunities it can open for their future.

Join Dr. Matthew Glanville, Director of Global Assessment for the International Baccalaureate, and Ryan Findley, Founder of Evergreen Education, in exploring practical uses of AI in schools across the globe. Together, they explore developmental benchmarks for K-12 learning and AI interventions to benefit educators and students in the classroom, as well as potential challenges.

Walid Mbarek partage avec nous sa passion pour le théâtre comme outil d’apprentissage. Le théâtre, en tant que pratique artistique, se révèle être un outil efficace et transformateur pour l’apprentissage des langues. Sur le plan personnel, il permet de développer la voix de l’élève et son agentivité, en lui offrant un espace pour s’exprimer avec confiance et prendre des initiatives dans son apprentissage. Il contribue également au bien-être en renforçant l’estime de soi et en réduisant le stress grâce à une approche ludique et créative. Sur le plan collectif, le théâtre favorise la collaboration et l’intelligence relationnelle, en encourageant les élèves à travailler ensemble, à écouter activement et à comprendre les perspectives des autres, ce qui enrichit la dynamique de classe. Enfin, il stimule la cognition en mobilisant la mémoire, la créativité et les compétences linguistiques dans des contextes authentiques, rendant l’apprentissage des langues plus vivant et significatif.

In this episode, two educators from the U.S. and Australia share stories about adopting the Career-related Programme. Listen for insight from Tabitha Geres (CP educator at Edgewood Schools) and Glendyn Morgan (Head of Department Senior Schooling CP Coordinator at Brisbane South State Secondary College).

Mehdi Lazar partage avec nous l’importance qu’il attribue aux compétences interculturelles au XXIe siècle. De par sa carrière internationale et ses recherches sur cette thématique en tant qu’auteur, il développe le rôle de ses compétences si spécifiques et la façon de les apprendre, en donnant des idées d’activités à utiliser en classe. Elles permettent à chacune et chacun de mieux savoir qui nous sommes, qui l’autre est, et comment vivre ensemble.

Laura Sánchez Cobos, Senior School Delivery Manager at the IB, talks with Megan Uyao, a student from the Philippines, about her project that won a GYAF grant.

Mehdi Lazar partage avec nous sa vision de l’éducation à la citoyenneté mondiale et pourquoi il est si important de bien l’intégrer dans notre enseignement. De par sa carrière internationale et ses recherches sur cette thématique en tant qu’auteur, il nous explique les compétences que l’éducation à la citoyenneté mondiale développe chez l’apprenant et propose des astuces pour l’intégrer facilement dans notre enseignement. Le jeune doit se développer dans le monde qui l’entoure; les enseignants doivent lui offrir des activités authentiques pour qu’il se sente partie prenante de ce monde.

In this episode with IB Development Manager Lindsay Cooper and IBEC and Dr. Cherissa Legendre Vitter, Associate Professor of IB Education at Southeastern Louisiana University, learn more about the new pilot programme in the U.S. that lets schools teach IB courses before going through the process to be an authorized IB school.

In this episode of IB Voices, Taylor Hart Odom, Strategy Delivery Associate Manager, and Glendaliz Garcia, Senior School Delivery Associate, discuss how the Global Youth Action Fund creates opportunities for IB students and non-IB students alike.

The IB Diploma opens doors to advanced credits and unique opportunities at universities worldwide. In this episode of IB Voices, Marie Vivas, Senior Recognition Manager, joins Paul Teulon, Head of Global Recognition, to discuss the IB's recognition status among universities in the U.S. and Canada.

What can we learn from research on how to support student and teacher wellbeing? Jennifer Merriman, IB Global Director of Research, Policy, and Design, sits down with Magdalena Balica, IB Senior Research Manager, to discuss the science behind wellbeing, what we mean by it, and how we might measure and define it. The discussion is informed by foundational new research on student and teacher wellbeing by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford.

Dr. Matt Glanville, Director of Assessment, and Yoon Byun, Head of Digital Transformation, join in a conversation on the future of digitization in the classroom including benefits, limitations and challenges. Together they discuss AI technology, digital assessment strategy and increased access and accommodations for students - as we prepare for the future of education. This podcast was created as a part of All4Ed’s Global Digital Learning Day on February 15th, 2024.

Ariane Baer Harper partage avec nous l’importance de bien intégrer le contexte scolaire dans le réflexion de la mise en œuvre d’un programme de l’IB. Ayant elle-même supervisé des établissements dans leur cheminement pour être autorisés à offrir des programmes de l’IB, elle nous propose des astuces pour que cela se passe au mieux, en s’assurant que les enseignants sont inclus dans la réflexion. Chaque établissement est différent et cela ajoute à la richesse des programmes proposés.

Francis Tornay partage avec nous la façon dont son établissement, au Caire en Egypte, a décidé de déplacer l’éducation également hors de la salle de classe en y créant des espaces ouverts pour l’apprentissage communautaire. Il explique les effets de ce changement sur les compétences des élèves et la manière de les évaluer.

Nancy Sirois, Geneviève Dubuc et Isabelle Proulx partagent avec nous la façon dont leur établissement, au Québec, a décidé d’agir pour qu’enseignants et élèves vivent mieux le PEI, en mettant en avant la métacognition, les neurosciences et l’agentivité. Plus les élèves sont responsables de leur apprentissage et plus ils prennent plaisir à apprendre ; il en va de même pour les enseignants qui participent à ce projet.

Ali Ezzeddine partage avec nous son expérience du Programme Primaire dans divers pays, principalement de langue arabe. Il donne des conseils pour toute coordonnatrice ou tout coordonnateur qui rejoint un nouvel établissement afin que le démarrage dans ce nouveau rôle se passe au mieux. Il souligne principalement l’importance de bien comprendre la culture propre à l’établissement.

In the final episode of a series focused on the PYP support material ‘The early years in the PYP’, IB voices spoke to Anne van Dam and Kathryn O’Connell, 2 early years educators who have worked in local and global contexts, to explore some of the opportunities and tensions for educators around the subject of documenting learning.

In this inspiring podcast, IB Voices talks to Tom Bronson, an experienced MYP educator based in Florida, on interdisciplinary learning and how it can be implemented. They also explore the changes to the Interdisciplinary unit guide and its effect.

What is metacognition, and how can it benefit student learning? In this podcast, researcher Paul Beach highlights promising practices to help IB educators and parents to support metacognitive development among their students.

Resilience describes the process of positive adaptation in the face of adversity in life. All students face challenges of some kind, and academic resilience plays an important role in overcoming these setbacks. In this interview, researcher Ross Anderson discusses the findings of a policy paper by researchers from Inflexion, highlighting key insights from research on academic resilience and buoyancy. He also presents some promising practices and recommendations for teachers and parents to support student resiliency.

In the second of a series focused on the PYP support material ‘The early years in the PYP’, IB voices spoke to Anne van Dam and Kathryn O’Connell, 2 early years educators who have worked in local and global contexts, to explore what concept-based learning looks like in action and to discuss some of the tensions educators feel when working conceptually with young children.

In the first of a series focused on the PYP support material ‘The early years in the PYP’, IB voices spoke to Anne van Dam and Kathryn O’Connell, 2 early years educators who have worked in local and global contexts, to explore what excites them about the new support materials and the opportunities it offers for early years educators to reflect on their own practice.

Mariette Kauthen partage avec nous la façon dont le Lycée Technique du Centre au Luxembourg utilise le Programme du diplôme pour l’intégration des nouveaux arrivants dans le Grand Duché. Les spécificités linguistiques du Luxembourg ont poussé l’établissement à définir le rôle des langues dans ce processus inclusif.

Marie-France Labelle partage avec nous son expérience en tant que directrice du Centre STEM à l’Ecole internationale de Genève en Suisse. Elle nous explique comment l’apprentissage transdisciplinaire permet une pratique significative, créative et innovante. STEM/STIM signifie « science, technologie, ingénierie et mathématiques ». Cet outil permet de travailler les compétences liées à la recherche scientifique dans le monde réel.

Antonina Andrianova et Sylvie Henderson partagent avec nous l’importance que leurs deux établissements donnent à l’apprentissage des compétences au PEI et au Programme du diplôme. Antonina travaille à La Moscow Economic School à Moscou en Russie et Sylvie au Lycée Multilingue OMBROSA à Lyon en France. La discussion porte sur la façon dont l’enseignement des compétences a été mis en place et sur l’importance de l’autoévaluation des élèves.

Alison Yang, MYP coordinator, and Rhys Tyers, language and literature teacher at KIS International School discuss the formative assessment and feedback project they launched at KIS and how it allowed for students to engage directly with the feedback process and develop their own capabilities.

Director of IB World Schools, Adrian Kearney, extends a warm welcome to the latest cohort of IB authorized schools, marking the 2000th PYP school since 1997.

This study investigated the impact of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) on student well-being and related social-emotional outcomes. The mixed-method study involved three phases: a literature review and review of PYP documentation with regard to well-being; a retrospective comparative analysis of PYP and similar non-PYP schools; and surveys of PYP teachers and students. The study found the PYP curriculum and programmatic elements to be imbued with activities and practices that promote well-being. PYP students also demonstrated consistently higher levels of well-being compared with similar non-PYP students. Additionally, PYP schools with strong implementation showed a more positive school climate and higher levels of teacher engagement, student participation and student well-being outcomes attributable to the PYP. These findings offer substantial evidence that the PYP encourages student well-being above and beyond other well-being activities promoted in schools. Learn more here.

Taid Rahimi partage avec nous la façon dont son établissement au Togo, en Afrique de l’Ouest, a construit son curriculum conceptuel pour le PEI et le PP, ainsi que l’implication que cet enseignement a sur l’identité et la vision des apprenants. La discussion partage les idées théoriques et les exemples plus concrets mis en place dans l’établissement.

Chantal Thomas partage avec nous le cheminement que son établissement en France a mis en place pour offrir à leurs élèves un double diplôme, à savoir le diplôme de l’IB et le diplôme du Baccalauréat français. Elle évoque les défis et les réussites que son établissement a rencontrés lors de la mise en œuvre de ce double programme.

Frédéric Bergeron partage avec nous la façon dont son établissement au Canada met en place les approches de l’apprentissage afin de soutenir les élèves et améliorer leur apprentissage. La discussion donne des exemples concrets que chacun pourra méditer pour son propre établissement.

This February marks the fifth annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science. We hear from astrophysicist and science advisor Erin Macdonald, who tells us about her role as a science advisor in the Star Trek franchise, the real (and fictional) role models that influenced her career and how she landed in Glasgow for her PhD. She is a Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) graduate based in the United States.

The personal and professional skills course (PPS) is a core component of the Career-related Programme (CP) and each school designs and develops it around five themes: personal development, intercultural understanding, effective communication, thinking processes and applied ethics. IB Voices sat down with Chris Baker-Raivo, CP coordinator and Lori Brumbaugh, personal and professional skills teacher at Champlin Park High School to hear how the programme is bridging students to career pathways and ways to foster student agency through the PPS course.

HostDarlene Fisher, IB Lead Educator and workshop designer, developer, and facilitator of ‘The Essentials of International Leadership’ suite of workshopsCo-hostSteve Wishart, IB World Schools Manager, AustralasiaPanel:Chris WrightDirector of Education, Woodard Schools UKJames MacDonaldDirector, The International School of BrusselsCheryl KeeganHead of NBHIS, China Angela MeikleIBWS Manager I Former Head of Elementary at Hanoi International School

HostDarlene Fisher, IB Lead Educator and workshop designer, developer and facilitator of ‘The Essentials of International Leadership’ suite of workshops Co-hostSteve Wishart, IB World Schools Manager, Australasia PanelSeetha MurtyDirector of Education, Silver Oaks International Schools I President, Heads Association of IB World Schools, India I Vice-Chairperson, CBSE Schools Association, Hyderabad, IndiaDavid FitzgeraldSenior Vice President, Education for GEMS US & IB SchoolsAngela MeikleIBWS Manager I Former Head of Elementary at Hanoi International Schoo

HostDarlene Fisher, IB Lead Educator and workshop designer, developer, and facilitator of ‘The Essentials of International Leadership’ suite of workshops Co-hostSteve Wishart, IB World Schools Manager, Australasia Panel:Kevin HouseDirector of the Institute for Learning and Research, Dulwich College InternationalSeetha MurtyDirector of Education, Silver Oaks International Schools I President, Heads Association of IB World Schools, India I Vice Chairperson, CBSE Schools Association, Hyderabad, India Jasmine MadhaniHead of School at Narsee Monjee Educational Trust's - Jamnabai Narsee International School

HostDarlene Fisher, IB Lead Educator and workshop designer, developer, and facilitator of ‘The Essentials of International Leadership’ suite of workshops Co-hostSteve Wishart, IB World Schools Manager, Australasia Panel:Kevin HouseDirector of the Institute for Learning and Research, Dulwich College InternationalSeetha MurtyDirector of Education, Silver Oaks International Schools I President, Heads Association of IB World Schools, India I Vice Chairperson, CBSE Schools Association, Hyderabad, India Jasmine MadhaniHead of School at Narsee Monjee Educational Trust's - Jamnabai Narsee International School

Host: Darlene Fisher, IB Lead Educator and workshop designer, developer and facilitator of ‘The Essentials of International Leadership’ suite of workshopsCo-host: Steve Wishart, IB World Schools Manager, AustralasiaPanel: Frank Braccia, Head of school, Gold Crest InternationalNicholas Alchin, Deputy Head of Campus, United World College of Southeast AsiaJames MacDonald, Director, The International School of BrusselsJasmine Madhani, Head of School at Narsee Monjee Educational Trust's - Jamnabai Narsee International School

Language development, which is one of the four components of the Career-related Progamme (CP) core, can be nurtured using diverse approaches. How can educators embrace this flexibility and support students to expand their own horizons? In the third episode of a series focused entirely on the CP, IB Voices sat down with Chad Lower, CP coordinator at North Kansas City High School (and member of the IB Educator Network (IBEN) whose roles include site visit team leader, consultant and workshop leader), to understand how language development works in his school and how educators can create meaningful learning experiences, also in the current context of distance, online or blended learning and teaching.