As one of the first pilots of the collaborative 16+ review, the IB will be working alongside schools to rethink education and design a new educational pathway.
The collaboration is set to begin in August 2023, where 20 students at UWC Atlantic College (UWCA) will pilot a new Systems Transformation Pathway, focused on complex systemic challenges around ecological and social justice. In 2024, United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA), will be added to the pilot.
Evolving education
As multiple global crises unfold and collide, students are calling out for an education that affirms the possibility of a more just, equitable and regenerative world. There’s a growing disconnect between the education they are getting and the education they need.
This pilot will equip students with the hope and initiative to catalyse change and drive transformations that the world so desperately needs.
The Systems Transformation Pathway
The course will be pioneered by a diverse and global cohort of 20 students from the 2023 intake of UWC Atlantic students. The pilot will follow these students through the two-year DP programme and will include three higher-level subjects, one standard-level subject, and the DP core.
The Systems Transformation Pathway will focus on four areas:
- Biodiversity
- Energy
- Food
- Migration
This curriculum will shine a spotlight on transformative change, systems leadership and making the world a fairer place for the future. Students will undertake project-based experiences that will not be approached through traditional separate disciplines or be assessed by traditional exams.
Following evaluation of the pilot, the intention is that all UWC Atlantic students will be able to take part in the pathway by 2027. More schools around the globe will also be invited to experience this transformative pathway as part of the IB’s multi-year collaborative project to review the IB’s programmes for 16- to 19-year-olds.
