The aim of all IB programs is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.~ The IB Learner Profile. 

Encompassing the last two years of High School, the Diploma Programme (© International Baccalaureate Organization 2018) is designed to fulfil the graduation requirements of various education systems.  Lincoln Community School embraces the Diploma Programme because of the robust way it supports our mission to be a learning-focused, leading and connected school.  You can learn about the IBDP on the International Baccalaureate's website.

Learning-Focused 
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) © International Baccalaureate Organization 2018, is among the most comprehensive and intellectually stimulating university preparatory programs in the world.  The IB Learner Profile describes the IB graduate as an individual capable of exercising initiative in applying critical and creative thinking skills, of recognizing and approaching complex problems, and of making reasoned ethical decisions. IB educators explicitly teach students the skills they need to be successful in their studies; those “Approaches to Learning” are a key part of our LCS definition of a Lincoln Learner.  

Diploma candidates are required to select one subject from each of the six subject groups. Usually, three subjects are taken at Higher Level (HL) and three others at Standard Level (SL). Higher Level courses cover 240 teaching hours and Standard Level courses cover 150 teaching hours. Hence, over a two-year period, some subjects are studied in depth and some more broadly.

In addition to their six academic subjects, DP candidates also take a critical thinking and philosophy seminar called the Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and engage in an extensive project on a subject of their own choosing which culminates in a formal 4000-word research paper.

At the end of Grade 12, IB Diploma candidates undergo a three-week battery of externally prepared and graded oral and written examinations in all six of their Diploma subjects.

Leading 
The IB DP (© International Baccalaureate Organization 2018) has gained recognition by post-secondary institutions in nearly 150 countries, frequently leading to preferential admissions and advanced standing for DP students.  LCS Diploma students have enjoyed strong results, above the worldwide average. Last year, 91% of our graduating class completed the full IB diploma, well above the worldwide average of 78.4%, and earned an average diploma score of 33 points (out of 45) against an average worldwide score of 29.9.

Our teachers are all experienced IB educators, many of whom are examiners for the IB, grading the annual external exams. LCS teachers are also frequent presenters at IB conferences, serving our goal to be a leading international school.

Connected
Throughout the course, the programme’s CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) component engages students -- alongside their academic studies -- in complementary activities in three key areas: creative arts, physical activity and unpaid voluntary service, and requires them to reflect on those CAS experiences. Many of those activities take our students outside of the walls of LCS, allowing our students to connect not only with other high school students but the local community in Accra and beyond.

All students are required to undertake a CAS Project. The project challenges students to show initiative, demonstrate perseverance, and to develop skills such as collaboration, problem-solving and decision making.