Cultivating Risk-Takers: Inside the 2026 IB Independent School Boost
For two days in February, our campus became a living laboratory of ideas, dialogue, and inspired practice. Educators from across the country stepped into our learning spaces and experienced firsthand what it means to nurture curiosity, courage, and innovation in an IB school.
Early February brought a distinctive sense of momentum to our campus, the kind that signals something meaningful is about to take shape. On February 2 - 3, 2026, Carrollwood Day School welcomed educators from across the United States as we hosted the 4th Annual IB Independent School Boost.
The theme, Cultivating Risk-Takers: Inspiring Innovative Minds, was more than a title. It became the thread that connected every conversation, every workshop, and every classroom visit. Administrators, coordinators, and teachers representing the PYP, MYP, and DP came together not simply to listen, but to think, question, and collaborate. Dialogue centered on student agency, the courage to take intellectual risks, and the kinds of learning experiences that stay with students long after a lesson ends.
What made the IB Boost especially powerful was that the learning did not live only in presentation rooms. It lived in our hallways and classrooms. Led by CDS IB coordinators, including Sabrina McCartney who has been a driving force and strategic planner for this event for the past four years, as well as teachers, students, and administrators, the experience focused on practical strategies and the honest exchange of ideas. There was reflection. There was curiosity. There was the kind of professional learning that feels immediately relevant because it is grounded in real classrooms and real students.
As visiting educators stepped into our classrooms, they encountered something that is difficult to manufacture and impossible to fake. They saw students deeply engaged in their learning. They saw inquiry unfolding naturally. They saw student voice not as a concept, but as a daily practice.
Again and again, visitors spoke about the same impressions. They noticed how invested our students were, how purposeful the learning felt, and how clearly the PYP framework is lived rather than referenced. From moments of thoughtful questioning to the confidence students showed in sharing their thinking, the experience left a lasting mark on those who observed it.
For our faculty, the classroom visits served as a reminder of something easy to overlook in the rhythm of a busy school year. The work happening each day is extraordinary. Opening classroom doors to colleagues from around the country required generosity, vulnerability, and professionalism. Our teachers did this with grace, offering not performances, but authentic glimpses into teaching and learning at CDS.
As the two days came to a close, educators left with new ideas, renewed energy, and a sense of connection that extended beyond the event itself. The 2026 IB Independent School Boost reinforced the strength of community and affirmed a shared commitment to innovation, creativity, and courageous learning.
Just as importantly, it offered CDS educators a chance to see ourselves through the eyes of others. What visitors witnessed was not a special showcase, but a reflection of who we are every day. A school where curiosity is nurtured, thinking is valued, and risk-taking is not only encouraged but expected. And that is the true impact of the IB Boost.