How IB Courses in Online Schools Foster Global Citizenship
August 15, 2025
Established in 1968, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme was the first of four age-specific programs to be offered by the IB. Taught to students ages 16-19, the IBDP is offered by schools all over the globe and recognized and respected by the world’s leading colleges and universities.
Dwight Global Online School, a premier independent private online school for students in grades 6-12 and ranked No. 2 online high school in the Americas, was established in 2014 and is part of the Dwight Schools Global Network.
As one of a handful of schools selected and approved by the IB in 2022 to pioneer the IBDP online, the success of Dwight Global’s online IB courses and IBDP launch has led to an increase in recognition and popularity ever since.
Mr. Rob Allan, IB Diploma Programme Coordinator at Dwight Global Online School, has extensive experience as an educator and leader at North American and international schools. Educated in Canada, Mr. Allan has postgraduate degrees in both History and Educational Leadership, and for the past 11 years has served as Diploma Programme Coordinator and Associate Principal at IB schools in the Middle East and South America. He and his wife Glenda Frank, who teaches IB Mathematics, have two sons who are both IB Diploma graduates and currently attending university in Canada.
See the Q and A below for Allan’s thoughts that speak to the topic: How IB Courses in Online School Foster Global Citizenship.
Q: What is the overarching goal of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)?
Mr. Allan: The overarching goal of the IBDP is to develop internationally-minded students who, through their rigorous education and engagement with global issues, will one day become world leaders who advocate for a peaceful world.
Q: How do online IB programs support the IB’s goal of developing internationally minded students?
Mr. Allan: Online IB schools, composed of students from across the globe, are well placed to deliver on this goal. The connection that an online learning environment provides brings students from diverse cultural backgrounds together in real time to engage with, and collaborate on, issues of international importance.
Q: What makes the combination of online learning and the IB curriculum unique?
Mr. Allan: Although the IB already provides learners with a unique opportunity to develop themselves as global citizens, it is the combination of online learning with the IB curriculum itself that allows online students to take full advantage of their opportunity to broaden their international perspective.
Q: How are IB courses structured to support the IB’s mission?
Mr. Allan: IB courses, rather than being taught as discrete subjects, are delivered as interconnected pieces of a holistic education through interaction with the distinct IB Diploma core components – Theory of Knowledge, Creativity, Activity and Service, and the Extended Essay. The Core provides students with an in-depth understanding of global issues while they pursue mastery of rigorous, subject-specific content and skills.
Q: What is the IB Learner Profile and why is it important?
Mr. Allan: The IB Learner Profile, which serves as a blueprint for each individual IB learner, focuses on 10 particular attributes which aim to develop internationally minded people who will one day help to create a better and more peaceful world.
Q: How does the IB curriculum differ from other academically rigorous programs?
Mr. Allan: The IB curriculum is the only academically rigorous curriculum available today with such a profound emphasis on international mindedness, and when combined within the unique context of online learning, provides a powerful platform for fostering global citizenship.
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