Highland Secondary School is about halfway through a two-year process that could make it the only public school on Vancouver Island offering the International Baccalaureate diploma program.

Highland is holding an information meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. in the school鈥檚 multi-purpose room to explain what the International Baccalaureate (IB) program is, the state of Highland鈥檚 application process and how interested families can get involved.

The IB program started in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland, and established an internationally-recognized curriculum that included strong academic and service components and a strong internationalist perspective, explained Highland principal Wayne Friesen.

It includes coursework in English, coursework in a second language, science and math, history and the arts. There is also a course called Theory of Knowledge, in which students examine how they learn.

As well, there is a Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) component in which students create their own projects to provide service to their school or community.

There are three levels of IB 鈥� primary and middle levels for younger students and the diploma program for high school students.

Students enter the diploma program in Grade 11, and it provides partial or full credits for the first year of university.

鈥淲e would be the only public school on Vancouver Island offering this program and the only school north of Victoria,鈥� said teacher Andrew Black, Highland鈥檚 IB co-ordinator. 鈥淟ocally, it鈥檚 a great opportunity for students to get access to a program we鈥檝e never traditionally offered here.鈥�

In the past, a number of Highland鈥檚 top students have applied to go to Pearson College in Victoria, which is an IB school, but there is limited space, and an IB program at Highland would give more students an opportunity to participate, explained Friesen.

鈥淥ne of the reasons we鈥檙e keen to do it is we think the Comox Valley鈥檚 a good location to support this,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a real strong sense of internationalism in the community, and in the school, a number of clubs promote internationalism.鈥�

The school staff voted unanimously to support the program, and the Parent Advisory Council has expressed strong support, noted Friesen.

Highland has chosen 12 teachers who would receive specific training to deliver the IB program.

Highland鈥檚 IB program would be open to any student in the Comox Valley. If Highland is authorized as an IB school, the program would start in September 2012.

Friesen encourages people to visit Highland鈥檚 website 鈥� http://web.sd71.bc.ca/highland 鈥� for updates.

People who are unable to attend the information meeting but would like more information about Highland鈥檚 IB plans can visit Highland鈥檚 website or contact Friesen at Wayne.Friesen@sd71.bc.ca.

More information about IB can be found at www.ibo.org.

writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com