Why Pierce IB DP?
The Pierce Mission
The mission of Pierce is to provide holistic education to form intellectually independent, morally responsible, socially engaged global citizens. “Non ministrari sed ministrare” (“Not to be served but to serve”) defines our institutional character and our aspiration for our students.
An international School
Pierce was recently presented with the Full Accreditation of the British Council’s International School Award (ISA), as the best international school (2015-18) in recognition of its commitment to developing global citizenship in young people. Pierce embeds international learning into the curriculum and extracurricular activities. The international recognition of Pierce is confirmed by the high rates of success in top ranking universities abroad such the US and UK.
Why Pierce-IB is unique
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- Small class sizes (5-15 students), which augment group work and learning, as well as facilitate interactive teaching and academic collaboration.
- Pierce-IB DP students are supported with additional class sessions, enabling families to eliminate private tutoring and alleviate from additional expenses.
- Study Sessions: since all Pierce-IB DP students follow the daily schedule of the mainstream program, their classes start at 08:30 and finish at 15:30, with less number of courses (than those mandated by the Greek curriculum). Hence, each student will have – approximately – two 2-period sessions (per week) with no class. For these time slots our students have three options:
- To stay in class and prepare/read, for the next day or even collaborate with their teachers.
- To use our Computer Lab and search for data, papers and information from the web, from digital libraries or from ManageBac (the online platform for teachers and students’ communication).
- To go to Pierce library and search relevant bibliography or references, required for their Internal Assessments and/or Extended Essay.
- Pierce-IB DP is supported by highly qualified and trained teachers, with extensive experience in the Diploma Programme and University education. The majority of teachers (55%) hold a PhD degree and all of them (100%) hold either an MSc or an MA degree. The IBO verification team was most impressed by the academic qualifications, the passion and the commitment of the school staff: “Staff should consider becoming IB DP examiners and engaging in other means of involvement directly and individually with the IB organization.”
- We take advantage of all divisions of The American College of Greece (Pierce, Deree, Alba), exchanging best teaching practices, undergraduate education experience and high-end facilities, such as:
- The ACG Art Gallery, which is a distinctive educational venue for students and faculty based on the academic program of Visual Arts. Each year we organize the annual VA exhibition, where our students’ works are displayed.
- The ACG Simulated Trading Room is built to offer our students a real- world trading experience. This state-of-the-art trading room is expected to recreate a professional financial environment and is being supported by the latest trends in technology, including state-of-the-art hardware and software.
- Pierce-IB DP is fully integrated with campus life and the regular high school program. Our students can take part in all activities the School has to offer, choosing from more than 50 Clubs, Pan-Hellenic or European contests and International Programs such as: Model United Nations, Harvard Model Congress Europe, University of Delaware Summer Program, Phillips Exeter Summer School.