IB Values and BDC School Pillars: A Shared Educational Vision.

Preparing students to navigate an ever-changing world means offering them much more than a solid academic education. It means helping them develop curiosity, independence, critical thinking, collaboration skills, and openness to different perspectives.

This vision brings together the values of the International Baccalaureate and BDC School’s five official pillars: Internationality, STEAM, Design Approach, Entrepreneurship, and Sport.

This is not a formal alignment established by the International Baccalaureate, but rather an educational dialogue between complementary principles. On the one hand, the IB Learner Profile describes the qualities students are encouraged to develop; on the other, the BDC School pillars identify some of the areas through which these skills can be practised and transformed into meaningful, real-world experiences.

At International School Rimini, this shared vision helps shape an international, active educational journey focused on each student’s overall growth.

What Are the IB Values?

The mission of the International Baccalaureate is to help develop curious, knowledgeable and caring young people who can contribute to building a better world through intercultural understanding and respect.

This vision is expressed through the IB Learner Profile, which identifies ten attributes:

• Inquirers: curious students who are able to ask questions and develop research skills;

• Knowledgeable: students who explore significant issues of both local and global importance;

• Thinkers: able to apply critical and creative thinking skills;

• Communicators: able to express themselves and collaborate effectively;

• Principled: responsible, honest and aware of the consequences of their actions;

• Open-minded: willing to understand and respect different cultures and perspectives;

• Caring: sensitive to the needs of others and the wider community;

• Risk-takers: ready to approach new situations with courage and determination;

• Balanced: aware of the importance of personal balance and well-being;

• Reflective: able to evaluate their own learning and recognise their strengths and areas for improvement.

  
  

These attributes encompass intellectual, personal, emotional and social dimensions. According to the IB, their development represents a tangible expression of international-mindedness an open and internationally oriented outlook.

What Are the BDC School Pillars?

The official BDC School website presents five pillars:

1. Internationality

2. STEAM

3. Design Approach

4. Entrepreneurship

5. Sport

   
   

These pillars help define an educational model in which students are not passive recipients of knowledge but active participants in their own learning journey.

Academic subjects, project-based learning, international exchange, personal initiative, and physical and mental well-being thus become key elements of an education that extends beyond the simple acquisition of knowledge.

Internationality and Openness to the World.

Internationality represents one of the clearest connections with the IB philosophy.

Being part of an international school does not simply mean studying in English. It means learning to view the world from different perspectives, communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, and understand the value of cultural diversity.

This pillar is particularly aligned with several attributes of the IB Learner Profile:

• Open-minded, through the ability to embrace different perspectives and traditions;

• Communicators, through the importance of expressing themselves, listening, and collaborating;

• Caring, through consideration for others and the wider community;

• Principled, through the responsibility with which students participate in an international environment.

  
  

The international dimension helps students develop a global outlook while maintaining a strong connection to their own identity. Engaging with diversity thus becomes an opportunity to understand both others and themselves more deeply.

STEAM: Knowledge, Inquiry and Critical Thinking.

The STEAM pillar integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics through an interdisciplinary approach.

The aim is not only to acquire scientific and technological knowledge, but also to learn how to connect different disciplines in order to interpret phenomena, address problems and design possible solutions.

From this perspective, several key attributes of the IB Learner Profile emerge:

• Inquirers, because every learning journey begins with curiosity and inquiry;

• Knowledgeable, because effective solutions require solid, in-depth knowledge;

• Thinkers, because students need to analyse data, evaluate alternatives and formulate hypotheses;

• Reflective, because every outcome should be examined and critically assessed.

  
  

The STEAM approach also places great value on creativity. The arts are not separate from science; instead, they help develop intuition, imagination and the ability to communicate ideas effectively.

Students therefore learn to apply their knowledge to understand real-world situations and address complex problems with a methodical and flexible approach.

Design Approach: From Questions to Solutions.

The Design Approach centres on observation, planning and experimentation.

Students are encouraged to identify a need, formulate questions, gather information, imagine possible responses and assess the effectiveness of the solutions they develop.

This process reflects several IB Learner Profile attributes:

• Inquirers, through their willingness to explore and investigate;

• Thinkers, through the use of critical and creative thinking;

• Risk-takers, through their readiness to explore new paths;

• Reflective, through their ability to evaluate the process and learn from the outcomes;

• Communicators, through the need to present, explain and share their ideas.

  
  

Within the Design Approach, mistakes are not viewed merely as negative outcomes, but as valuable information that can be used to revise and improve a project.

In this way, students develop perseverance, independence and self-awareness. Rather than simply searching for the correct answer, they learn how to build a process based on inquiry and design.

Entrepreneurship: Turning Ideas into Action.

The Entrepreneurship pillar promotes initiative, responsibility, decision-making skills and a solution-oriented mindset.

In an educational context, being entrepreneurial does not simply mean acquiring business and financial knowledge. It means learning to identify a need, develop an idea, organise its implementation and evaluate its impact.

This approach can be linked to the following IB Learner Profile attributes:

• Risk-takers, through the courage to embrace new challenges;

• Thinkers, through the ability to analyse problems and opportunities;

• Communicators, through presenting projects and collaborating with others;

• Principled, through acting with integrity and responsibility;

• Reflective, through evaluating decisions, outcomes and consequences;

• Caring, when a project aims to create a shared benefit.

  
  

Entrepreneurship helps students understand that an idea gains value when it is supported by commitment, method and responsibility.

Creativity and knowledge are thus transformed into initiative and active participation.

Sport: Balance, Collaboration and Responsibility.

Sport contributes to students’ physical, emotional and social development.

Through physical activity, children and young people learn to understand their bodies, respect rules, collaborate, manage their emotions and respond maturely to both success and difficulty.

The clearest connection is with the IB attribute Balanced, which highlights the importance of maintaining a balance between intellectual, physical and emotional well-being.

Sport can also foster the development of other qualities:

• Principled, by respecting rules and others;

• Caring, through collaboration, mutual support and team spirit;

• Risk-takers, through a willingness to challenge themselves;

• Reflective, by evaluating their own performance;

• Communicators, through interactions with teammates, coaches and opponents.

  
  

Sport therefore becomes an integral part of educating the whole person, helping to build confidence, discipline and a sense of belonging.

A Comparison Between IB Values and the BDC School Pillars.

The relationship between the two models can be summarised as follows:

This table does not represent an official classification by the International Baccalaureate.

It offers a comparative interpretation showing how the BDC School pillars can provide practical contexts in which students can practise and develop qualities aligned with the IB Learner Profile.

Each attribute can, in fact, emerge across different areas and at various stages of school life.

From Knowledge to Personal Growth.

The alignment between IB values and the BDC School pillars helps shape an educational experience in which academic learning and personal development progress together.

Students are supported in learning how to:

• ask questions and develop curiosity;

• acquire and apply knowledge;

• think critically and creatively;

• communicate and collaborate;

• design possible solutions;

• approach new challenges with awareness;

• take care of their own well-being;

• act responsibly towards others;

• reflect on their own learning journey;

• participate actively in the community.

  
  

The aim is not to define a single model of what a student should be, but to value each student’s individual qualities and provide everyone with the tools they need to grow.

International School Rimini: A School Open to the Future.