High school students in the U.S. increasingly have a new option

to challenge themselves: the International Baccalaureate, or IB.

The program is a demanding two-year curriculum.

It aims to prepare students for college-level work, support independent research,

and teach the value of a diverse world.

To earn an IB diploma,

students must spend their third and fourth year of high school in the program.

It requires the ability to use English, as well as the study of another language.

It also requires classes in math, science, social science, art, a class on theory of knowledge,

a 4,000-word paper, presentations and 150 recommended hours of community service.