Academy Earns Only Such Distinction In Pennsylvania
Only Pre-K To Grade 12 School In PA Offering Full IB Programmes
Harrisburg Academy (HA), the Capital Region’s premier and one of the nation’s oldest, private, independent, co-ed, PreK through Grade 12 schools, is now recognized as a Full International Baccalaureate (IB) Continuum School, one of just 2% of schools in the United States to reach that status. HA recently received authorization to offer the Middle Years Programme (MYP), in conjunction with its already existing Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). Students then have the option to complete the components of the IB Core, a rigorous extended essay, and an independently designed and implemented service project, and take the IB exams. Upon completion of these core components and a passing IB exam score, students receive an IB Diploma which is formally recognized at more than 1,800 institutions worldwide. Acceptance rates of IB graduates at Ivy League colleges outstrip their peers.
“I am proud of our esteemed faculty and visionary leadership team who have worked diligently over the past several years to achieve a level of performance that marks the Academy as a Full IB Continuum School for preschool-aged children through high school seniors,” proclaimed Adrian Allan, Harrisburg Academy Head of School. “We owe a debt of gratitude, as well, to Academy board members, parents, guardians, sponsors, and our students who hold us and themselves to the highest standards of an IB education. Their commitment to excellence enabled us to earn this impressive global distinction which provides exciting opportunities for student success. Our students are seen, known and celebrated here and we are proud of that!”
An International Baccalaureate Education: Child-Focused, Bold Learning
Designed as a comprehensive curriculum from ages 3 through 18, the International Baccalaureate is unique because of its academic rigor, commitment to developing a global perspective, teaching young people how to think critically and collaboratively to solve problems, and building personal and interpersonal skills.
“The result of the IB approach to education is students who have an enthusiastic, lifelong quest for learning, research, and the skill set to solve problems and develop new approaches with the aim of making the world a better place for all,” added Lindsay Bowman, Harrisburg Academy Head of Middle and Upper Schools. “Nurturing students’ empathy and character underpin the entire program at Harrisburg Academy. We also focus on teaching our students how to learn and not what to learn in our community service-focused Academy that offers small class sizes and big opportunities.”
Highlights of a Full IB Continuum School:
- Cultivates thoughtful, globally-minded students who welcome our multicultural student population.
- Student commitment to service benefits the community and helps to prepare them to meet the entrepreneurial challenges of the future.
- Strong focus on experiential and hands-on learning leads to more engagement and motivation for students.
- Internationally recognized as a top-tier education.
- Nurtures student growth, discovery, independence and entrepreneurship.
A Glance at IB in Numbers and Studies:
In the United States:
- 1902 IB World Schools currently offering one or more of the 4 IB programs:
- 645 offer PYP
- 748 offer MYP
- 932 offer DP
- 43 Schools are continuum schools, offering at least 3 of the 4 programs, to students in KIndergarten through grade 12
- Not all 43 offer preschool, putting Harrisburg Academy in the 2% of schools that are a Full IB Continuum School from pre-K through Grade 12
IB at Harrisburg Academy:
- 100% of students in grades 11 and 12 participate in the Diploma Program at some level, even if they are not full IB Diploma candidates.
- HA Outcomes:
- The 20 students in the Class of 2023 were admitted to 70 different colleges and universities, both domestic and international.
- Comparing the last five years of matriculations at Harrisburg Academy with Top 150 colleges and universities on Forbes 2023 list of “America’s Top Colleges,” Harrisburg Academy students were accepted to 26 of those top colleges in those five years.
IB Effectiveness and Outcomes:
- Studies show that students in the PYP and MYP Programme years performed as well or better on the International Schools’ Assessment than non-IB students in every assessment area.
- Enrollment in the MYP increases students’ likelihood of participation in college preparatory coursework and achievement of college-ready scores on AP/DP exams.
- Studies also find that DP students attend four-year colleges and universities at higher percentages than non-IB students, continue attendance at college and university in higher percentages, and graduate after four years in higher percentages.
Lakshmi Shrikantia, MYP Science Teacher and Director of the Center for Experimental Sciences, noted, “I am excited that we are now a Full IB Continuum School. The MYP program emphasizes the process of learning and reflecting to grow and improve. The Year 3 MYP Community Project, for example, helps build confidence and provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in problem-solving, research and collaboration within their immediate community or at a national or global level.”
“I really like the IB Programme because the grading scale pushes me to do better than I think I normally would. The way the criteria is set up, it gives teachers more room to have students explore their passions, and it makes class more fun because I’m able to incorporate things that I like into my learning so it feels more connected to me,” added Soumaya I., Class of ’26.
Melissa Swauger, parent of an HA 6th grader, emphasized, “The program has given our child the independence and agency to explore his passions and his scholastic abilities together, because it incorporates students’ passions into learning. He doesn’t feel like he’s learning; he’s enjoying every lesson and he’s doing so well in middle school. The closeness to his teachers and enjoyment he gets from the program inspire him to want to do better, so it drives him to keep setting higher goals.”
For more information and data on Harrisburg Academy and the Full IB Continuum School, please visit: www.HarrisburgAcademy.org
Harrisburg Academy’s Mission:
Harrisburg Academy is Pennsylvania’s only Full International Baccalaureate Continuum School offering an academically challenging and globally minded interdisciplinary education to students from preschool to Grade 12. In our commitment to excellence, we provide tools, develop character, and teach skills that prepare students to thrive in college and beyond, thereby contributing to the betterment of our global and local communities.