International Baccalaureate

A World-Class Education Right Here in the Bronx

Vertex Partnership Academies is one of the very few public high schools in New York City authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) — a globally recognized framework for academic excellence.

While families around the world often pay tens of thousands of dollars in private school tuition for IB programs, Vertex offers this world-class education tuition-free to Bronx students and their families.

What Is the International Baccalaureate?

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a rigorous and balanced course of study that challenges students to think critically, communicate effectively, and act with integrity.

It develops young people who are curious, principled, and thoughtful — learners equipped with the habits of mind to inquire deeply, reason clearly, and engage the world with understanding.

The IB promotes pluralism — the belief that truth and virtue are best pursued through the respectful exchange of ideas among people of different cultures, faiths, and experiences.

The IB and the Spirit of New York

There is no better place to live out the IB’s ideals than New York City, a community where the world truly comes together. The Bronx itself is home to families whose roots span every continent [except Antarctica], and our classrooms reflect this extraordinary diversity.

At Vertex, the IB framework helps students recognize and uphold the inherent dignity of every individual — seeing in each person not a category or label, but a mind and moral being worthy of respect. This commitment to human dignity unites the IB’s international outlook with Vertex’s virtue-based mission.

The IB: a Pathway to Upward Mobility

The IB opens doors. It equips students from every background with the knowledge, transferable skills, and conceptual understandings needed to thrive in college, career, and civic life.

Through its demanding curriculum, the IB builds students’ capacity to:

• Analyze complex problems
• Connect ideas across disciplines
• Apply learning to new contexts

Students gain a deep understanding of the world — its histories, cultures, systems, and challenges — preparing them to navigate and contribute meaningfully to an interconnected age.

IB students also have the opportunity to earn college credit, giving them a head start on higher education and helping reduce the cost of college.
Through independent research and the Reflective Project, they develop true intellectual agency — learning to frame questions, conduct inquiry, and construct evidence-based arguments.

At Vertex, these experiences become engines of upward mobility, helping our students not only access college but excel there and beyond.

The Cardinal Virtues at the Heart of Vertex

Vertex Partnership Academies is built on the belief that excellence of intellect must be matched by excellence of character. Our model emphasizes the four cardinal virtues — Courage, Justice, Temperance, and Wisdom — as enduring guides for personal and civic life.

• Courage — the strength to seek truth, take risks in learning, and stand up for what is right.
• Justice — a commitment to fairness, service, and the dignity of every person.
• Temperance — the practice of balance, humility, and self-discipline in the pursuit of excellence.
• Wisdom — the ability to unite knowledge and experience in sound judgment and discernment.

These virtues align with the IB Learner Profile, which calls students to be principled, open-minded, reflective, and caring. Together, they form a unified vision of international-mindedness rooted in moral purpose.

Scholars who choose the Career-related Programme path must pass two IB Diploma level classes of their choosing and complete the CP CORE requirements (Personal and Professional Skills, Language Development, Service Learning, and the Reflective Project).

Read more about our Career-related Programme here.