ISJ April 2013: The World Studies Extended Essay: challenging students on global issues

Angela Rivière

Abstract:

All too often we hear criticisms that young people are not engaged with global issues, that the challenges of the 21st century are simply other people’s problems, far removed from the preoccupations of teenagers. According to the mission statement of the International Baccalaureate (IB), which aims to ‘develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect’ (IB mission statement), students studying the Diploma Programme (DP) could not be accused of a lack of engagement.

The commitment of the IB to create more opportunities within the classroom and beyond to address some of the complex challenges of the 21st century, and to fully embed global engagement as part of the learning experience, is no more apparent than with the introduction of its new Extended Essay – the World Studies Extended Essay (WSEE).