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The IB Learner Profile

The learner profile describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success. They imply a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them. The learner profile puts our students at the centre of everything we do. It is the IB mission statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century. The ten aspirational qualities of the learner profile inspire and motivate our work, keeping us focused on goals that go far beyond academic success and include the development of personal qualities that support the pursuit of personal happiness and global consciousness.

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Orange Shirt Day is an important annual marker to honour the survivors of residential schools and remember those who didn’t make it home. But it is also critical that we embrace a culturally sensitive learning environment every day, which draws upon and enhances awareness of Indigenous Peoples.

A new example of this approach is the representation and teaching and learning 

of the IB Learner Profile qualities in our Early Years Division. Animal puppets, designed by Indigenous artists, now embody the range of ten aspirational capacities and responsibilities, beyond academic success. 

“It started with our commitment to the First Peoples Principles of Learning," explains Monique Vodrey, Kindergarten teacher. “Young children are drawn to animals, and we knew we could also use the puppets to profile Indigenous perspectives. The book Sharing Our World: Animals of the Native Northwest Coast was our inspiration.”

The IB Learner Profile attributes are taught as individual lessons so that preschool and Kindergarten students can understand their significance, as well the actions and behaviours that reflect the various animals. The content is also woven throughout the curriculum of Units of Inquiry. 

“The puppets illustrate the Learner Profile characteristics through Indigenous stories, role play, and songs. Throughout the year, when children show these principles, we reinforce the ideas by giving them badges with a picture of the animal,” adds Monique.

As IB learners we strive to be: inquirers (Mo the moose), knowledgeable (Bizzy the beaver), thinkers (Shelly the turtle), communicators (Splash the orca), principled (Grace the eagle), open-minded (Magic the octopus), caring (Joy the hummingbird), risk-takers (Streamer the salmon), balanced (Hunter the bear), and reflective (Tricky the raven).