The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)

Private schools offering the International Baccalaureate for students 11 to 16

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The International Baccalaureate was initially created for students aged 16 to 19. It was intended to provide a well-rounded, high quality, advanced course of study that delivers the basics of high school education while challenging students to apply their knowledge and skills through collaboration, discussion, and communication.

Based on the strength of the secondary program, it was then expanded to cover the middle school years with the IB Middle Years Program (IBMYP). The curriculum is intended for students 11 to 16, though schools can choose whether to offer the MYP throughout the middle years, or just the years prior to the secondary program.

As in the upper grades, the curriculum is organized around six interdisciplinary themes, all developing students' understanding of who they are, their place and time, and how their life intersects with the lives of others, both locally and beyond. The core curriculum—language, math, science, physical education, arts, and social studies—is taught through the lens of those cross-curricular themes.

IB accreditation

Accreditation is granted through the International Baccalaureate in Geneva, Switzerland. The term "International Baccalaureate" is used generically, and can refer to the organization, the degree, or the degree programs. Prior to 2007 the main accrediting body was known formally as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), though since then is known as, simply, the International Baccalaureate. 

Schools intending to offer an IB program undertake a 3-4 year authorization/accreditation process, with timelines depending on when a school begins its formal academic year. Every school accredited to offer any of the four core IB programs is known as an IB World School. Any school that is engaged in the process of accreditation is known as an IB Candidate School. 

All accredited schools take part in an ongoing process of review and development. In some cases that process is supported and/or facilitated by sub-regional organizations, one example being the International Baccalaureate Schools of Ontario (IBSO). However, accreditation is only available through the central accrediting body. 

Schools that offer IB programs for all age groups, beginning with the primary years and culminating in the secondary diploma, refer to themselves as IB Continuum Schools. Schools typically develop the IB continuum over time, adding programs as the school grows, and in response to the needs of the student population. 

Find schools with the IB Middle Years Program (IBMYP) below.