International Baccalaureate Careers-Related Program (IBCP) Walnut High School International Baccalaureate Careers-Related Program (IBCP)

Walnut High School is now an IBCP authorized school 55 IBCP Schools in the US 5 IBCP Schools in California WHS is the only school with the PLTW Biomedical Sciences Program as part of it’s IBCP in California The IBCP consists of two components: An International Baccalaureate component – this is completed during the junior and senior year A career-related component – the career component at Walnut High School is the PLTW Biomedical careers program – this part of the program begins the sophomore year

The IB Component – Junior and Senior Year Students will take a minimum of 2 IB courses – they CAN take more IB classes depending on their interests and their class schedule Students CAN take AP courses while doing the IBCP – students will need to plan with their GLC to include AP courses in their schedule Many HL IB courses are also AP courses in the first year (example: Bio HL – the first year is AP Bio)

The IB Component continued: Students will also take: Approaches to learning: Students participate in a course that emphasizes critical thinking, a study of ethics, problem-solving and the acquisition of practical skills. This course is taken during the spring of the junior year and the fall of the senior year. A World Language: Students must improve their language proficiency in a chosen foreign language.

The IB Component continued: In addition, students will participate in: Community and service: Students participate in unpaid and voluntary activities that help the community and that have a learning benefit to the student. Volunteer activities occur on a regular, on-going basis over the junior and senior year. Reflective project: Students must plan and create a project based on some ethical question that has come from their career-related studies. Students work on the project over the junior and senior years. Students may present their research in a variety of formats such as a written paper, audio-visual presentation or a web-based presentation. Students are provided an advisor to guide them through the process of Community and Service and their Reflective Project.

The Career-related Component – Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program Students will take a total of 4 PLTW courses as part of the IBCP program – The first course is taken during the sophomore year: Principles of the Biomedical Sciences (PBS) – 10th Grade Human Body Systems (HBS) – 11th Grade Medical Interventions (MI) – 12th Grade Biomedical Innovation (BI) – 12th Grade

Course 1: Principles of Biomedical Sciences (PBS) Student work involves the study of human biology, medicine, and an introduction to research processes. Students investigate the human body systems and various health conditions including: heart disease, diabetes, sickle-cell disease, hypercholesterolemia, and infectious diseases.

Example of PBS Student Activities for Sickle Cell Disease: Students stain chromosomes in cells and observe them under the microscope. Students use a computer simulation to view how a protein’s shape changes due to its environment to build designer proteins.

Examples of HBS Student Activities : Students take measurements of bones to determine the person’s sex, ethnicity, and height. Students work with Anatomy in Clay® Maniken® throughout the course to build portions of the body system

Examples of MI Student Activities: Students insert DNA that codes for a fluorescent protein into bacterial cells. Students work with a laparoscopic surgery trainer box simulation.

Course 4: Biomedical Innovation In the final course of the PLTW Biomedical Science sequence, students build on the knowledge and skills gained from previous courses to design innovative solutions for the most pressing health challenges of the 21st century. Students address topics ranging from public health and biomedical engineering to clinical medicine and physiology. They have the opportunity to work on an independent design project with a mentor or advisor from a university, medical facility, or research institution.

What type of careers can the IBCP/PLTW Biomedical Sciences Program Lead to? Just to name a few: Chiropractor, Dermatologist, Medical Assistant, Orthopedist, Physical Therapist, Speech/Language Pathologist Nurses (RN, LPN,LVN), Anesthesiologist, Dietician, Nutrionist, Dentist, Dental Hygienist, Pathologist, Phlebotomist MRI Technician, Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, Audiologist, Podiatrist Biochemical Engineer, Biochemist, Epidemiologist, Forensic Pathologist And hundreds of other options!

How can IBCP benefit my student? IBCP students are part of an actual IB program. The UCs have stated that they accept IB students FIRST during the application process Full IB Diploma Candidates are accepted first Students who have taken IB classes (even if they are not diploma candidates) are accepted next Students who have taken AP classes are accepted after students who have taken IB classes The PLTW classes that the students take as part of the IBCP program can also receive college credit depending on the university – call the admissions offices of universities that your student is interested in attending (check PLTW.org under college and university partners) Some colleges offer scholarships for PLTW students – again, call the admissions offices of potential colleges

How can PLTW courses benefit my student? Studies have shown: PLTW seniors were significantly more likely to achieve both a higher ACT composite score and higher ACT math and science scores. In a high school study, students participating in PLTW scored higher than non-PLTW students in all five subject areas on the California Standards Tests (CSTs): English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, History/Social Science, and Life Science. About 90% of a group of PLTW students who were surveyed at the end of their senior year said they had a clear and confident sense of the types of college majors and jobs they intended to pursue. Those students also said that their PLTW experiences significantly increased their ability to succeed in postsecondary education. (source: PLTW.org)

Application Process Students who meet the following criteria are eligible to participate in the IBCP: Must be currently in the 9th grade Have a minimum 3.0 GPA in their core academic courses. Have completed Biology with a grade of B or better or Honors Biology with a grade of C or better