International Baccalaureate - History

The International Baccalaureate Organization was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1968 as a non-profit educational foundation. Its original purpose was to facilitate the international mobility of students preparing for university by providing schools with a curriculum and diploma recognized by universities around the world.

The diploma program created by teachers at the International School of Geneva, with assistance from several other international schools, consisted of a common pre-university curriculum and a common set of external examinations for students in schools throughout the world.

By 1977 IBO had established a regional office in New York for North America and the Caribbean. While the Program has grown to include private and public schools in over 119 countries, it continues to provide students with a truly international education—an education that encourages an understanding and appreciation of other cultures, languages and points of view.