Two new International Baccalaureate (IB) programs promise lots of academic challenge for students attending Marion County Public Schools this fall.

Lake Weir High officially opens its advanced academic program this August while Oakcrest Elementary opens its program in September.  Another new program at Howard Middle will kick off next year.  Administrators, teachers, students, and parents often work together for years to educate and train their communities to help their schools secure the coveted IB distinction. 

IB programs offer rigorous courses and accelerated classes to meet the needs of the highly motivated student.  The IB Diploma Program at Lake Weir allows students to earn college credit while enrolled in high school.  They must complete an independent research project and document 150 community service hours. 

The IB Primary Years program at Oakcrest targets student ages of 3-12 years and focuses on developing the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and the world outside.

Lake Weir is one of only 67 Florida high schools offering the IB curriculum while Oakcrest is one of only 19 Florida elementary schools with IB. Both schools join the district’s only other IB program at Vanguard High in Ocala.

For more information, contact the IB coordinators at each school – Lake Weir’s Megan Losito (352.671.4820) or Oakcrest’s Traci Orme (352.671.6350). Log on to www.ibo.org for additional details.