At a Glance

Our Academic Programs

• The EBGIS Early Childhood Program — including preschool and kindergarten — employs a play-based and project-oriented approach widely used in Europe. Its highly trained and experienced international faculty employ early immersion principles to expand children’s communicative competencies in both German and English. Multi-dimensional in-class projects are developed by an interdisciplinary team based on seasonal rhythms and students’ interests. The pre-academic curriculum covers language, intercultural studies, science, mathematics, music, movement, and art, each taught in an engaging and developmentally appropriate way. No prior knowledge of German is needed for admission to EBGIS’s Early Childhood Program, where students acquire German naturally and transition successfully to the EBGIS grades program.

• The EBGIS Elementary and Middle School Programs feature rigorous academics based on proven German curricula and literature-rich English Language Arts instruction. A key feature of the EBGIS grades program is the introduction of advanced science topics as early as the fifth grade. The curriculum employs a unique spiral sequence in which recurring topics are presented in ever-increasing detail and complexity, helping students to grasp connections between topics as they deepen their understanding. A third language, either Spanish or French, is introduced in the sixth grade. At EBGIS, the highly trained international faculty guide students in developing their strengths across academic disciplines, critical thinking skills, social-emotional competencies, and artistic abilities. Averaging just twelve students per class, EBGIS is truly “small by design,” allowing teachers to engage and support each student based on their unique needs.

• The East Bay International High School (EBIHS) is an accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering the highly regarded IB Diploma Programme (DP) to all its students. Developed in Switzerland, the IB is an academically rigorous, internationally oriented approach often referred to as the “gold standard” in high school education. IB graduates are sought after by top university admissions offices in the United States and around the world. No knowledge of German is required for admission to the East Bay International High School. All EBIHS students undertake advanced study including a range of Advanced Placement (AP) courses in grades 9 and 10. They enter the IB Diploma Programme in grades 11 and 12. EBIHS offers multiple language tracks with beginner to native speaker level language and literature courses in German, French, and Spanish as well as introductory Mandarin. The language of instruction for other courses is English. Students who undertake high-level coursework in a second language receive the Bilingual IB Diploma at graduation. This is a distinction awarded to just a quarter of IB graduates worldwide and it further distinguishes EBIHS students from other applicants to top universities.