The IB Middle Years Programme

The International Baccalaureate® Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) is an all-inclusive program for Walt Whitman and Mount Vernon students in grades 7 through 10. Mount Vernon students can choose to pursue the FCPS MYP Certificate in tenth grade. 

Through the efforts of our teachers, the IB MYP stresses inquiry-based learning, the development of skills for learning, a rigorous engagement with academic content, and an understanding of cross-curricular concepts.  In addition, like every IB program, fostering the attributes of the IB Learner Profile stands as the primary goal.

The IB MYP influences how we teach, not what we teach, so our teachers will use this model to deliver Fairfax County Public Schools' Program of Studies aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning.

What's the difference between IB and MYP?

What is often referred to as the “IB Programme” at Mount Vernon is the IB Diploma Programme (DP) — a program primarily for 11th and 12th graders in which some students can choose to complete the IB Diploma. 11th and 12th grade students can also earn an IB Career- related Certificate. All 9th and 10th grade students are in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) are IB programs.  

Two notable differences between the DP/CP and MYP are:

• Mount Vernon students can choose whether to participate in DP/CP classes in 11th grade, but the MYP includes all students in grades 9 and 10

• DP/CP classes include a specific curriculum created by IB, while the MYP offers an instructional framework that helps students create a foundation for more in-depth learning.

What is the IB MYP Personal Project?

This project is an important part of the IB MYP here at Mount Vernon and at all IB MYP schools. It’s exactly what it sounds like--a project that is of personal interest to the student. Tenth grade students choose the topic to explore AND the type of product they will create to meet their learning goal. In working towards their goal, students practice skills such as self-management, communication, research, and collaboration. Students must successfully complete the Personal Project in order to earn the FCPS MYP Certificate.

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