In 2002 Colegio Americano was authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) to offer the Middle Years Program (MYP). The MYP is designed to meet the educational needs of students between 11 and 16 years of age; that is 6th through 10th grades.

In the MYP the student is at the center of all learning. The philosophy and framework of the MYP aims to help students develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to participate actively and responsibly in a changing and increasingly interrelated world. This means teaching them to become independent learners who can recognize relationships between school subjects and the world outside, and can combine relevant knowledge, experience and critical thinking to solve authentic problems.

The eight subject areas--Humanities (Geography and History), Language A (Spanish and English), Language B (students who need second language support), Physical Education, Sciences, Arts, Mathematics, and Technology—provide a broad, traditional foundation of knowledge, while the pedagogical devices used to transmit this knowledge aim to increase the students’ awareness of the relationships between and among the disciplines.

The MYP is guided by three fundamental concepts that influence its development, both internationally and in individual schools.

1. Holistic Learning—emphasizes the links between the disciplines, providing a global view of situations and issues.

2. Intercultural Awareness—is concerned with developing students’ attitudes, knowledge and skills as they learn about their own and others’ social and national cultures. Encouraging students to consider multiple perspectives not only fosters tolerance and respect, but may also lead to empathy and action.

3. Communication—supports inquiry and understanding allowing students to reflect and express their learning in multiple ways.

In addition to the three fundamental concepts described above, the MYP is characterized by the areas of interaction, which give it a distinctive flavor. These areas are common to all disciplines and are incorporated into the MYP so that students will become increasingly aware of the connections between subject content and the real world, rather than considering each discipline as an isolated subject and unrelated to the other disciplines studies in school and to the world.

The Personal Project is the culminating evidence of all of the work done during the five years of the program.