Developing a Community Approach to the IBCP in Hong Kong and Beyond
Meeting the needs of our students with a community approach to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Career-related Programme (CP) enables us to offer a wider range of options than we can as individual schools. It is not usually possible, both financially and logistically, for schools to provide professional equipment, facilities, and expertise to the level that dedicated external providers and colleges/universities can do. Additionally, our partners provide an authentic environment for our students to learn in rather than the removed classroom environment that schools provide. Just as importantly, the advanced development that our students have achieved after completing these specialized pathways puts them at an advanced stage compared to their peers.
Through my work ESF currently offers joint courses with the 8 external providers. The first partnerships i se up were was with Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Academy of the Performing Arts (HKAPA). The full list of partnerships I have developed is provided below.
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Federation University and the World Academy of Sport - International Sports Management
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Aeronautical Engineering or Aviation Management
Australian Guild of Music - Music Diploma
Sustainability Management School (SUMAS) - Business and Sustainability
Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts (HKAPA) - Musical Theatre
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) - Art and Design
BSD (Build Something Different, BSDCD Ltd) - Digital Skills
Hotel Tourism Institute HTI) and International Culinary Institute(ICI) - Culinary Arts and Hospitality
Our students attend these institutions during the last two years of secondary school (grades 12 and 13 in the US) in the afternoons while completing IB Diploma Programme (DP) courses in the mornings at their respective schools.
ESF openly encourages other schools to engage with the institutes that we have partnered with to meet the needs of their students. We believe that the strength of the CP comes from offering courses that support the niche needs of students, even if that means only one student. Schools can still differentiate themselves by the IB DP Courses they offer, the quality of their CP core components, and the approach and ethos of the school.