About Us
-
Increase visibility, marketability and understanding of IB around the state.
-
Collaborate with IBO in support of AZ IB schools in building recognition policies and practices
-
Build state association leadership and participation among all AZ IB schools.
-
Increase collaboration with in-state universities & AZ Transfer to revise credit and scholarship policies.
-
Explore opportunities to gather & analyze data in order to support AZIBS world schools.
Goals
The mission of the Arizona International Baccalaureate Schools (AZIBS) is the general improvement, support, promotion, and recognition of established and developing International Baccalaureate Primary Years, Middle Years, Diploma and the IB Career-Related Certificate Programs.
Mission
Our Story
The Arizona IB Schools (AZIBS) Association was founded more than 25 years ago by a small group of 3 IB Diploma Programme Coordinators who recognized the value and importance of collaborating with one another to strengthen their schools' IB programs. What began as informal meetings around a kitchen table became a network of dedicated educators which has grown into a statewide association committed to supporting excellence in International Baccalaureate education across Arizona.
Over the years, AZIBS has expanded to include coordinators and leaders representing all four IB programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP), and Career-related Programme (CP). Today, the association serves more than 30 member schools throughout the state.
AZIBS meets quarterly to foster collaboration among IB educators, share best practices, discuss program implementation, celebrate successes, and provide support in addressing the unique challenges faced by IB schools. These meetings create a professional network that strengthens IB education and promotes continuous improvement across Arizona.
In addition to coordinator collaboration, AZIBS hosts annual roundtable sessions that bring teachers together to exchange instructional strategies, learn from one another, and build connections across schools and programmes. The association also sponsors an annual summer official IB workshop, providing educators and school leaders with accessible and affordable professional learning opportunities that support the growth and sustainability of high-quality IB programs throughout Arizona.
For more than two decades, AZIBS has remained committed to its founding vision: bringing IB educators together to learn, collaborate, and support one another in providing exceptional educational experiences for Arizona students.
Team
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
The AZIBS Board Members are deeply immersed on the IB Community. They are dedicated to serving not only their own learning communities, but all Arizona IB Authorized and Candidate World Schools.
Melissa Powers
Melissa is IB through and through. An IBEN member since 2015, she facilitates workshops and helps guide schools through evaluations. Melissa loves IB, because of its impact on student agency, curiosity, and skills development. She might be a little biased, but she believes our AZIBS community is the BEST!
Dr. Jake Davis
Since beginning his career in education in 2000, Dr. Davis has held a variety of instructional and leadership roles, including serving as Mesa Public Schools' IB Programme Director and Westwood High School's Diploma Programme Coordinator. An advocate for International Baccalaureate education, Dr. Davis has been a member of the Arizona Association of IB Schools (AZIBS) for more than 20 years and served as its chair for 15 years.
Jillian Hernandez
As our AZIBS PYP chair and a member of the International Baccalaureate Educator Network (IBEN), Jillian collaborates with educators around the world to support the implementation and continuous improvement of IB programs. She believes in the transformative power of the International Baccalaureate (IB) and has seen firsthand how it develops curious, compassionate, and globally minded learners.
Valerie Wilmot
An Arizona native, Valerie has worked in education for twenty years. She has taught everything from preschool to special education adults; including time as as English teacher in Poland! She has been an IB Teacher and IB Coordinator for the last 5+ years, supporting students to excel in the MYP programs!
Courtney Kemp
Courtney has taught for 25 years, 11 of those years at an IB school. She loves the community that is created in IB and the core values of creating global citizens. She thoroughly enjoys her time on the AZIBS Board as she both serves and learns with our community.
Dr. Jason Ward
Jason has served as an IB coordinator since 2013. Additionally, Jason is a member of the International Baccalaureate Educator Network (IBEN) where he serves as an MYP, DP and CP consultant, working with schools new to IB. He is also an IB verification team member and serves as an examiner for the TOK essay and Spanish Paper 1 HL.
Dr. Jennifer Anderson
Jennifer currently serves as an International Baccalaureate (IB) MYP and PYP Program Coordinator for Mesa Public Schools, where she oversees district-wide specialist programming across three school sites, supporting over 90 faculty members and 1,500 students.
.png)
Peyton Shelby
Peyton is a sixth year teacher and has been a member of AZIBS for four years. Outside of work, she is an avid reader, loves to travel, and spends most of her time exploring various coffee, tea, and book shops.
Melody Hodges
Melody has been an educator since 1998 and an IB PYP & MYP Coordinator since 2019. She is dedicated to collaborating with and supporting educators who want to create meaningful learning that empowers children to become caring, action-minded citizens.