The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end, the organization works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand that people with their differences, can also be right. 

Source: International Baccalaureate International: MYP, From Principles to Practice

The MYP is a challenging framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world. As in the Primary Years Program, an emphasis is placed on creating internationally minded students who exhibit the characteristics of the IB Learner Profile. Students are engaged in meaningful disciplinary and interdisciplinary units of study that are globally significant. 

Within each unit of study for each subject area, there are opportunities for students to make connections with the real world. The following global contexts are addressed throughout the program:

Throughout the units of study, students will have numerous opportunities to practice/refine these skills as they approach each learning experience.

As part of their middle school experience, students are encouraged to utilize what they are learning by taking action in the community on an ongoing basis. As a culminating experience of their middle years program experience here at La Mirada Academy, eighth grade students will be participating in a community project.