After three years of preparation, Telluride Mountain School is proud to announce their new authorization as an International Baccalaureate World School. As of January 2017, Telluride Mountain School received its official approval to offer the prestigious Diploma Program; it is the only independent school in the state of Colorado to offer the program.

The IB Diploma Program will launch for the 11th and 12th grade students beginning in the fall of 2017. For current underclassmen and prospective juniors and seniors at Telluride Mountain School, this implementation means an opportunity to participate in an internationally accredited and recognized college preparatory program. The IB Diploma Program is rigorous and will challenge students across the curriculum and further develop their critical thinking, communication, and creativity through classroom activities and independent projects.

Often compared to the AP program, the IB program is distinctive in a number of ways. While both programs offer courses in which a student may earn advanced standing or credit in college, the IB Diploma Program offers a holistic approach with a global mindset and continuity between subjects over a two-year period. Through studies in six core subject groups in language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics and the arts, the program broadens students’ educational experiences and challenges them to apply their knowledge and skills across the integrated curriculum. Additionally, students complete a set of core, interdisciplinary courses, including a critical thinking course titled Theory of Knowledge, independent coursework in Creativity, Activity and Service, and an independent Extended Essay, an in-depth, college-level research paper on a topic drawn from one of the core IB subject areas.

While all juniors and seniors at TMS will participate in the program, they may decide whether or not to attempt the full set of requirements for the IB diploma, a coveted distinction of high academic accomplishment. To earn the diploma, students must complete all course requirements, sit for six essay-format exams, three at the standard level and three at the higher level, and earn individual and cumulative scores that represent sufficient mastery across the six subjects. Students who do not wish to sit all six exams can choose which individual IB exams they wish to take. Passing scores on individual exams can equate to college credit or advanced standing while undertaking the full set of exams places students in a pool of highly competitive students from around the world and creates a significant advantage for students applying to the most selective colleges.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program will comprise the core academic program at Telluride Mountain School for juniors and seniors. The cost of the program is included in tuition, with additional fees charged for the elective exams. Students in the IB Diploma Program will also continue to participate in traditional Telluride Mountain School activities, including the school’s outdoor education, winter sports, and international experiential travel programs, where they will have the opportunity to build relationships with students from other IB schools. This year’s juniors and seniors have planned travel to the Patagonia region of Chile for field studies in ecology, geology, and environmental science as well as a visit to an IB World School in Santiago. The school leadership envisions future exchanges and cohort activities within the worldwide network of IB World Schools.

For more information pertaining to the IB Diploma Program please contact Andy Shoff, Associate Head of School at (970) 728-1969 or by email: ashoff@telluridemtnschool.org.