Spotlight on EBI: A bilingual education opportunity for East Bay kids

Known locally as EBI, private school Escuela Bilingüe Internacional is our sponsor today.

Escuela Bilingüe Internacional (EBI) will offer a new opportunity for non-Spanish speakers to enroll in their International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme

In the Fall of 2020, EBI will be saying bienvenidos to its first cohort of 6th graders with limited or no prior Spanish experience. Students with demonstrated strength in academics and curiosity for language and culture are encouraged to apply to EBI’s academically rigorous, international program and become inspired to engage with their changing world.

Visit their website to learn more about the program and to schedule a tour.

EBI’s International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program

The backbone of the EBI middle school program is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program. The Middle Years Program provides a framework of learning that encourages students to become innovative, critical and reflective thinkers. It emphasizes intellectual challenge and encourages students to make connections between their studies and the real world. EBI is the only school in the East Bay that is authorized to offer both the Primary Years Program and the Middle Years Program for the International Baccalaureate. The IB framework focuses on developing internationally-minded young people who will thrive in a diverse, changing world with character and empathy.

EBI Philosophy

The language immersion model coupled with the IB Middle Years Program reflects the school’s core values. All EBI middle school students take classes in Spanish and classes in English, which allows them a rich bilingual experience that is both academic and full of real-world communication. There are myriad of cognitive and social benefits to learning in a second language. Becoming proficient in another language is a wonderful way to have a foot in multiple worlds and experience cultures first hand, such as reading world-class literature in its original language. The richness of language and curriculum is further enhanced at EBI by the teachers, who represent 15 different countries with different linguistic and cultural roots.

The new curriculum is structured for students to study subjects in Spanish as a cohort for 25% of their time and join the balance of students in the regular Middle Years Program for subject taught in English. EBI is the only Spanish/English bilingual International Baccalaureate school on the West Coast.

Students in the new international track will attend six accelerated Spanish language classes a week. Additionally, they will attend physical education and art as an immersion experience in Spanish. As students' language skills progress, they may be eligible to take additional courses in Spanish starting in the 7th grade. All students consistently study English-speaking subjects together.

Spanish is the most spoken non-English language in the United States and California.
Across the world, Mandarin, English, and Spanish are the most widely spoken languages. In the United States, amongst people ages 5 and older, Spanish is the most spoken non-English language with more than 37 million speakers. In a state like California, where 38% of the people speak Spanish, having a deep understanding of the language and culture of Spanish-speaking people just makes sense.

“Being multilingual is no longer just a nice add-on, it really is now a prerequisite for success in the global economy. Our language program, combined with our focus on STEM and our designated design lab, truly make this an outstanding opportunity for students,” says Head of Middle School, Daniel Nube.

Spanish is a language for today and a language for tomorrow!

Visit and experience EBI

Visit Escuela Bilingüe Internacional during an upcoming IB Middle School Program tour on 10/2 or 10/16 from 8:45-10:15 a.m. or an Information Session on 12/7 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tours and information sessions will be held at the San Pablo campus, at 4550 San Pablo Ave. Please visit the website for more information and to confirm your attendance at a tour.