At BIS, our mission is to empower and inspire students to achieve their full individual potential and become global citizens. Underlying all that we do to fulfill this mission are a few simple, but very big ideas. These ideas guide us in making smart, student-focused decisions, appropriate to our school mission and not too wrapped up in trends that come and go. These concepts, and the skills they foster, are woven through all aspects of life and learning at BIS:

Voice: we listen to students and value their expertise, opinions and ideas. Giving students more say in the classroom strengthens practical problem solving, leadership and creative thinking skills.

Choice: students follow their interests and enjoy a breadth of offerings and possibilities to explore and experiment. The role of a teacher is to channel individual enthusiasm and coach students to identify their strengths.

Ownership: students are not passive recipients of facts and figures. They are active creators in the classroom and responsible for steering their own education in a positive, participatory, goal-oriented manner.

Future-ready: the most important skills needed for future success are no longer content-based. Executive skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, agility, resilience, entrepreneurship, and communication are key to thriving in the workplace and as a person.

Diversity: we celebrate the many traditions and approaches to life and learning within our 80 nation-strong BIS community. Our students benefit tremendously from this breadth of perspective and seeing the world through the eyes of others.