KENT, OHIO, Sept. 12, 2016 – Kent State University’s Middle Childhood Education program is the first in the state of Ohio to offer an undergraduate program authorized by the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization: the IB Middle Years Program Certificate in Teaching and Learning.
The IB Middle Years Program (MYP) is a curriculum for students in grades 6-10, and focuses on the development of the whole child in the classroom and in the world outside. The IB is a recognized leader in the field of international education. The program defines international education as developing citizens of the world in relationship to culture, language and learning to live together. It also encourages diversity and flexibility in teaching.
Under this recognition, Middle Childhood educators graduating from Kent State will not only be qualified to serve in Ohio but also in any of the IB “world” schools that exist in more than 128 countries. Kent State is one of three MYPs in the nation, and also offers an IB certificate for Primary Years (ages 3-12) in Teaching and Learning. MYP classes are offered at three Kent State campuses: Kent, Geauga, and Stark.
“Over the past five years, ten Kent State Middle Childhood Education faculty has been trained by IB in content-specific categories areas, along with the overall IB teaching models. We have built close relationships with surrounding IB schools, such as Litchfield Middle School in Akron, where our students are engaged in field experience opportunities which model IB practices. The faculty is very confident that our teacher candidates will graduate with a broader perspective of their students’ needs once they have completed our undergraduate IB program,” said Dr. Robin Dever, Kent State’s IB Middle Years Program Coordinator.
For more information about Kent State’s College of Education, Health, and Human Services, visit www.kent.edu/ehhs.