North Canyon High’s IB program offers rigorous, transferable learning and community service
Summary
North Canyon High School’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme emphasizes small classes, Theory of Knowledge, research projects and community service; the district also offers a K–12 IB continuum with Quail Run Primary years and open enrollment information on school websites.
Matt Case, a staff member at North Canyon High School, described the school’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme as a rigorous pathway that begins in students’ junior year and sits alongside their regular high school diploma. He said students take six IB courses and sit six exams while completing community service and a substantive research project. "One of the most unique things that IB offers is a class called Theory of Knowledge," Case said, adding that the course prompts students to discuss how we know what we know and promotes critical and creative thinking.
Case said IB classes tend to be smaller, allowing more one-on-one attention and more group discussion and collaboration. Rather than focusing on memorization, IB emphasizes transferring knowledge to new contexts: in history students analyze primary and secondary sources as historians would, and in science students approach work as practicing scientists, designing experiments and drawing conclusions. He described the IB math "exploration paper," where students investigate real-world applications of mathematics; one student analyzed sound-wave patterns in a song.
On access and enrollment, Case characterized the program as having an "IB for all" philosophy, saying anyone who wants the challenge can apply; the district maintains application information on school websites. He also outlined a district continuum that includes the Primary Years Programme at Quail Run for K–6 and allows students to continue IB at North Canyon beginning their junior year.
Case said the program prepares students well for college because course work and IB exams mirror college-level expectations, including time management and frequent deadlines. He noted that community-service requirements and collaborative projects further ready students for postsecondary life. As an example of service learning, Case described North Canyon students’ participation in an IB Day of Service on Nov. 14, when high school students led activities for kindergarten–third graders at Echo Mountain Primary; students prepared in advance and spent personal funds on supplies, and the school plans to return next semester.
The district’s website provides application details and further information about IB offerings at North Canyon and Quail Run.
