Tri-County IB program going strong, accepting applications
Sofian Dami, a Triway senior, works on a problem at Tri-County International Academy’s IB program. The IB program offered through the Tri-County ESC and located inside Wooster High School is known for the rigor of its coursework and appeal to colleges and universities.
The world-wide pandemic has not dampened the enthusiasm of Tri-County International Academy’s IB students this year. While this school year may look a little different, the students have been engaging in the challenging curriculum and core elements that set IB apart from other college-preparatory classes.
The IB program offered through the Tri-County ESC and located inside Wooster High School is known for the rigor of its coursework and appeal to colleges and universities, but students often find other benefits of the program as well.
“The IB program has already begun to help me become more comfortable with things like presentations and discussions in class,” said Emma Chelf, a Wooster junior in the IB program. “I have made so many friends that I wouldn’t have known without IB. The relationships that IB gives you are like no other. It really feels like a family. We all help each other out, so when things get tough, you have all their support too.”
Jude Cerniglia, a junior from Waynedale, said the workload of the IB program has been beneficial.
“I decided to do IB so that I could challenge myself academically,” he said. “My time spent in IB so far has caused me to develop strong critical thinking skills and allowed me to adapt to a larger workload. I would strongly recommend choosing IB as a steppingstone in your future. IB is a fun and challenging option that is academically and socially fulfilling.”
Students meet in person four days a week, using Wednesday as a remote learning day. The facilities available to the IB program at Wooster High have allowed students to remain 6 feet apart while enjoying a fairly regular classroom atmosphere. The mild fall temperatures allowed students and staff to enjoy outdoor mask breaks, lunch times and even a few classes in the fresh air.
Rising numbers of COVID-19 cases among students and staff necessitated Wooster City Schools transition to remote learning for several weeks — thus the IB program followed suit. While in remote mode, students and teachers remained engaged with the IB curriculum via Google Classroom. The program is currently back to face-to-face classes four days a week.
Graduates from the Class of 2020 have found the IB program greatly aided in their transition to collegiate classes.
“As a STEM major, I think IB helped me be prepared for my science classes and labs,” said Lizzie Meyer, now at Ohio State. “While I have chosen to retake some of these classes, I was offered credit based off of my scores, so that has been really nice. I also received credit for English and history classes, and because of that, I am on track to graduate a semester early for my major.”
Zach Miller, a Triway graduate attending Florida Tech, and classmate Annie Straits, a Hiland High grad, had similar sentiments.
“The abilities I’ve gained in concepts like communication, collaboration and stress management have empowered me to lead a more confident and balanced life,” Miller said.
“IB was a big reason why my transition from high school to college was not nearly as rough as it could have been,” said Straits, now studying at Case Western Reserve University. “In IB, I gained experience with key skills such as higher-level academic writing, laboratory exercise, good study habits and stress management.”
The IB program is an excellent resource for high school upperclassmen who are looking to improve their academic excellence or get a jump-start on college. For more information about the program, call Victoria Birk at 330-345-4000 ext. 3224 or email tesc_vbirk@tccsa.net. Application packets can be accessed on the Tri-County ESC website at http://ib.youresc.k12.oh.us/ib/content-page/application-process.