DOWNEY – After three years of dedicated work by Downey Unified staff, Carpenter Elementary School has officially earned the authorized designation of an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School.

A renowned program and global leader in international education, IB programmes prepare students to achieve academic success in their educational careers and become socially aware of the world around them.

Utilizing IB’s Primary Years Programme (PYP), which is designed specifically for students between the ages of 3 and 12, Carpenter Elementary School students will discover the value of learning and become lifelong learners through this program.

Carpenter Elementary’s Global Language Academies of Downey (G.L.A.D.) was launched in the 2019-2020 school year as Downey Unified’s first Spanish dual language immersion program. Beginning with only transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten students, they embark on their fourth year which will now provide a combined dual-language International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme to TK through third grade students; with planned expansion to fifth grade.

Bringing both programs together, G.L.A.D. with the IB programme, positions Carpenter Elementary students for success as they grow their confidence in speaking and writing two languages all while complementing it with an education that is internationally minded.

Downey Unified is also currently in the processes of determining an additional language that will expand G.L.AD.’s dual language immersion program to incorporate a third language beginning in the 2023-24 school year. An announcement will be made unveiling this new language, which is set to complement Spanish, prior to the G.L.A.D. application window opening in November.

To learn more about the benefits of IB, visit www.ibo.org. To learn more about Downey Unified’s G.L.A.D and the incorporation of their IB’s Primary Years Programme, visit web.dusd.net/glad/ib