(02/11/2022) Champlin Park High School - International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme (CPHS) principal Mike George was recognized by the Minnesota Association of IB World Schools (MNIB) for his outstanding leadership in a Minnesota IB school.

George was surprised with the award during an administrators meeting at CPHS Feb. 8 when MNIB executive director Jon Peterson presented him with the award in front of his leadership team at the school. View photos of George receiving recognition.

“I am humbled and honored to receive this recognition,” George said. “I would like to acknowledge the staff and coordinators of our program, as they are most deserving of this recognition. Our committed, determined and passionate staff make my role of supporting the IB program easy. I would also like to thank the Minnesota Association of IB World Schools, along with the staff who nominated me for this recognition.”

The MNIB administrator award was first given out four years ago and recognizes administrators who have demonstrated collaborative leadership with IB coordinators in their buildings to help their programs succeed and grow.

“Mike is an exemplary example of exactly what we’re trying to do,” Peterson said. “We want that partnership (between administrators and building leaders). I was really excited to see that there was a career program connection to this award, because that is a program we are really trying to snowball here in Minnesota.”

CPHS is one of just seven schools in the state of Minnesota offering the IB career-related program, and one of 20 offering the IB diploma pathway. 

IB aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

Students in the diploma programme take six subjects in IB, English, math, science, history, an elective, and world language. To complete the career pathway, students can choose from one of the following pathways: architecture/construction, communication, culinary, design and fabrication, education, medical, or transportation.

Ashley Brown (diploma programme coordinator) and Chris Baker-Raivo (career-related programme coordinator) lead the IB program at CPHS and nominated George for this award because of his support for their work in providing students these opportunities. 

“Mike has been very supportive of this new initiative within the career program,” Brown said. “We also have a new initiative this year to start bringing IB English into all of our 11th grade classrooms, and next year all of our 12th grade students will have the IB English curriculum. That is a big ask of a building to shift their whole entire English program into an IB focus, and Mike has been very supportive and encouraged those kinds of initiatives. These are things that kind of push the bar, things that not everyone is going to agree with or like, but he’s certainly willing to always hear our ideas and to discuss.”

“The IB career-related program is a unique opportunity that affords students the ability to explore a number of career areas while challenging themselves with IB diploma courses, language study and service learning,” Baker-Raivo said. “As we created pathways for students interested in education, the medical field, culinary careers, design, and manufacturing, Mike was tireless in supporting our endeavors. At every turn, Mike proves himself to be a creative problem solver and a dynamic leader. However, his most impactful trait is his focus on people. Mike leads from the heart and is focused on making both students and staff feel taken care of. I feel very lucky to work with Mike and happy that he is being recognized for his contributions to the IB career-related program.”

There are currently 85 junior and senior IB diploma and career candidates at CPHS, and there are over 700 students taking individual IB courses. For more information on the IB programme at CPHS, visit ahschools.us/cphsib.