Christian Alliance International School celebrates its first cohort of IB graduates

Christian Alliance International School (CAIS) introduced the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) in the 2021/2022 academic year as one of three curriculum pathways for its students. Today, CAIS is proud to celebrate its first cohort of IB graduates.

At CAIS, the IBDP is offered as an alternative to the Alberta curriculum and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. The Alberta curriculum leads to the High School Diploma qualification of Alberta Education, Canada, and is internationally recognized. Students who score well in AP examinations are positioned to qualify for credit transfer or advanced placement at many universities. The school is already expecting an increased number of IBDP internal and external applicants for the next academic year.

Elysse Eng is among the class of 2023 who achieved remarkable IB results and has gained acceptance to a renowned university in the United States. She reflects, “The past two years have been a great learning experience for me. CAIS is a tight-knit community with kind and devoted teachers who always assist students to the best of their ability.” With the IB being a relatively new programme at CAIS, Elysse adds, “The small class size allowed me to receive consistent guidance and feedback from teachers to make constant improvements.” Classes at CAIS are kept small to facilitate a more engaged and dynamic learning environment.

Currently an IB student at CAIS, Renee Yeung was inspired to organize the Club Fair as part of her CAS project. She explains, “CAS stands for Creativity, Activity, Service. It is a mandatory component that allows students to counterbalance rigorous academics through extracurriculars. To fulfil the requirement, each student needs to have a broad range of CAS experiences that are engaged with IB’s learning outcomes, including creating a project individually or with others.” After a six-month long preparation process, Renee expresses gratitude to the school’s Alliance team and student leaders, whose support enabled her project to come to fruition. The student-led fair aimed to recognize student club achievements at CAIS, including community service, performing arts, STEM, literary and artistic expression, culture and religion, and speech and debate.

The school has a dedicated careers, academic and university guidance team that provides support to students on their high school journey, including organizing large-scale university fairs for CAIS students and the community. Such events are also an opportunity for student volunteers to develop leadership and interpersonal skills, while demonstrating hospitality.

CAIS provides a transformative educational experience for children throughout its preparatory, primary and secondary sections—one that encourages students to think differently and motivates them to explore new ideas beyond the traditional classroom, aligning with the IB mission for an inquiry-based learning. With the opening of the Centre for Innovation in the school’s Amenities Building, STEAM is an area that will be expanded in the curriculum. CAIS IB Diploma Programme Coordinator, Benjamin Myers, says, “By stretching themselves in high school, IB graduates are ready for the rigors of just about any university and are well-positioned for the career world beyond.”