Pathways Expand Opportunities at International Schools

Providing students with innovative, interest-driven pathways has become a cornerstone of modern education. Schools like the American International School of Budapest (AISB) and the International School of Panama (ISP) are leading the charge with programs that blend flexibility, real-world skills, and student agency. GOA courses offer students the chance to pursue specialized interests while fulfilling graduation requirements. Here’s how these two schools are reshaping education to center on student exploration and growth.

The American International School of Budapest (AISB) has been at the forefront of educational programming, with its Innovation Diploma program offering students the opportunity to explore their passions and future careers. Beginning next year, this program will transition to the Global Impact Diploma (GID), developed collaboratively with 24 other international schools. This evolution highlights AISB’s commitment to empowering students with agency, opportunity, and meaningful learning experiences.

Corey Topf, AISB’s Innovation Diploma Coordinator and Global Pathways Director, shared insights into how Global Online Academy (GOA) courses have been instrumental in shaping their pathways-based learning model.

AISB’s approach emphasizes pathways that align with students’ interests and career goals, transcending the limitations of traditional diploma programs. GOA’s catalog of courses complements this vision by enabling students to explore niche subjects that might otherwise be unavailable or to deepen their learning by extending course sequences.

“GOA provides such a range of great courses immediately,” Corey explains. “You may have one or two students interested in something that wouldn’t be able to stand alone as a course at our school, but now they can take it online with other students. This gives us the opportunity to provide more choice and agency for our learners.”

This model has resonated with AISB students, offering flexibility and variety. For example, a student pursuing the Innovation Diploma’s business pathway might take GOA courses such as Business Problem Solving or Introduction to Branding & Marketing. These semester-long courses allow students to gain in-depth knowledge while meeting diploma requirements.

AISB integrates internships into the diploma requirements, ensuring students gain practical experience. Corey emphasizes the importance of this application-based learning: “The Innovation Diploma gives students an opportunity to pursue an internship so they tangibly see their pathway in action.”

GOA’s specialized courses also play a pivotal role. For example, Corey recalls a student whose interest in neuroscience and psychology was sparked by taking GOA’s Neuropsychology course. These opportunities allow students to refine their aspirations, whether diving deeper into their chosen field or pivoting based on newfound insights.

The shift from the Innovation Diploma to the Global Impact Diploma reflects a larger movement within international education. At the 2024 Pathway Summit, hosted by AISB, schools from around the world came together to collaborate on a shared vision for interdisciplinary and impactful learning. “The energy at the conference was incredible,” Corey says. “It has since grown into something much larger than we expected, leading to this global collaboration.”

GOA continues to be a vital partner in this evolution. Corey notes, “We see GOA as a great avenue for students to explore their interests and fulfill specialization requirements. It’s been extremely beneficial for our students and our new pathways.”

Looking ahead, Corey envisions even more interdisciplinary opportunities within GOA’s course offerings. He believes that blending interest-based courses with fluid, cross-disciplinary learning can further enrich the student experience.

With the support of GOA, AISB is setting a powerful example of how schools can adapt to meet the diverse needs of their students, fostering engagement, exploration, and real-world impact.

At The International School of Panama (ISP), students can pursue the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Diploma (IE Diploma), a unique pathway designed to provide students with the opportunity to earn college credit and take a different path from the traditional IB Diploma Programme. This program aims to equip students with an entrepreneurial mindset and the skills to create value in their communities.

“Our focus is really on the entrepreneurial mindset and skills that kids are going to need to be successful beyond just content courses,” explained Bill Hatcher, ISP’s Innovation and Technology Coordinator. “With the barrier to entry for creating your own path lower than ever due to technology and online learning, we need to give students more flexibility, especially in their final years of high school.”

GOA courses are a key component of ISP’s Innovation Diploma, enabling students to customize their learning experiences. “We offer six structured courses within the diploma, and GOA helps our students find opportunities to take subjects we don’t offer or get specific credits they need for graduation,” Hatcher said. For instance, one current Innovation and Entrepreneurship student was able to overcome a scheduling limitation by fulfilling a philosophy graduation requirement through GOA. This freed up their schedule to fully enroll in the IE Diploma and also pursue their passion for Art.

GOA also helps ISP students discover new interests and pathways. Hatcher shared the story of a student who took a GOA course on Problem Solving with Engineering & Design, which inspired them to pursue business and engineering at Purdue University. “With GOA, students can see so many different subjects and ways to learn about and apply those topics,” he noted.

As ISP continues to grow its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Diploma, Hatcher anticipates even greater reliance on GOA courses to meet diverse student needs. “We’re equipping the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurial leaders,” he said, emphasizing the importance of fostering creativity, flexibility, and real-world problem-solving.

Both AISB and ISP exemplify how schools can create personalized pathways for their students. By integrating GOA courses, these schools are not only expanding access to specialized learning opportunities but also empowering students to chart their own academic and professional journeys. From the Global Impact Diploma to the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Diploma, these programs highlight the transformative potential of education centered on curiosity, creativity, and real-world impact.

With a partner like GOA, AISB and ISP are paving the way for a new era in education—one where students are empowered to explore their passions, gain future-ready skills, and make meaningful contributions to their communities and beyond.

For more, see:

• Learning Pathways: A Deeper Learning Experience that Prepares Students for the Future
  
• Charting Your Path: Students Leverage Learning Pathways to Prepare for A Globally Networked Future
• What Is the Role of School Leaders in Nurturing Collective Purpose?

The Extraordinary Together series spotlights stories and outcomes from our member schools, illustrating the impact GOA programs have on students, educators, and schools. Posts in the series highlight the potential of student-centered learning—demonstrating how learners thrive when schools foster curiosity and provide pathways for pursuing passions—and they showcase the tangible ways we partner with schools to drive meaningful change. By sharing these experiences, we seek to illuminate how school membership amplifies our member schools' mission, sparks innovation, and shapes the future of education.

GOA is a nonprofit learning organization that reimagines learning to empower students and educators worldwide. In partnership with our global network of 150 schools, we provide interactive, relationship-driven courses, expert resources, and innovative thinking that help to expand and elevate academic programs. Together, we help students and educators become open to the extraordinary.

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