NIST International School

History

NIST opened in August, 1992 as the New International School of Thailand on the previous campus of International School Bangkok. The school was established with the support of the United Nations and is not tied to any national curriculum or approach. Originally comprising just over 500 students, it has since grown to more than 1,500. NIST was authorized to offer the IB Diploma Programme in 1993 and the IB Middle Years Programme in 1996. In 1997 it saw off its first group of graduates, and in 1998 it received dual accreditation through the Council of International Schools and New England Association of Schools and Colleges. NIST is also accredited by Thailand's Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment. With the addition of the IB Primary Years Programme in 1999, it became the first school in Thailand to offer all three IB programmes. NIST was renamed NIST International School in 2012 on the occasion of its 20th anniversary.

NIST is currently operated by a non-profit organization, the NIST International School Foundation (NIST Foundation). The first chair of the NIST Foundation, Mechai Viravaidya, resigned from the position in May, 2002, and the current chair is Pridiyathorn Devakula. The NIST Foundation chooses a board of directors, elected from the parent body, and their primary task is to select the Head of School. The current Head of School, Brett Penny, worked at NIST from 2000 to 2003 before returning and serving as the Head of Elementary from 2011 to 2016. The NIST Parent-Teacher Association (NIPTA), established in 1998, also plays a role in the school's development and facilitates ways for the parent community to be more closely involved in their children's education.

Accreditation and affiliation

NIST is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS), the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) since 1998 and the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA). It was the first school in Thailand to receive triple accreditation. Additionally, NIST is a member of the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools, the International Schools Association of Thailand.

Several organizations and programs are based on NIST's campus, including the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York master's in education program; the JUMP! Foundation's Global Leadership Center; and Top Flight Basketball Academy, run by ex-NBA player Ike Nwankwo. NIST is also the home of Chelsea F.C. Soccer School Bangkok.

Campus

NIST's campus is located in downtown Bangkok near Asok BTS Station, one of Bangkok's commercial hubs. In 2000 the school presented its development plan and began construction on new facilities in 2001. As of 2014, it has expanded its physical facilities and now possesses dedicated buildings for the early years, elementary and secondary sections. It also includes a sports complex, creative arts building and two additional multi-purpose buildings. A fourth multi-purpose building, the Hub, was completed in June 2014, while renovation of the older facilities began.

Arts facilities include a 300-seat theatre, multiple visual arts studios, multiple dance studios, multiple instrumental and vocal music rooms, private practice rooms and a recording studio. The sports complex includes a FIFA-certified football pitch, gymnastics studio, sports hall with multiple basketball and volleyball courts, swimming pool, two tennis courts, and multiple classrooms.

Curriculum

NIST is a licensed IB World School, offering all three programmes of the International Baccalaureate: the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students from 3–11, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students from 11–16 and the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) for those from 16–18. All classes, with the exception of second language courses, are taught in English.

In line with the IB philosophy and learner profile, the school adopts an academic approach that emphasizes collaboration, hands-on learning and exploration. Students learn both on and off campus through service activities, internships and the school's annual off-campus trips. As a compulsory part of the curriculum, all NIST students must also learn a language other than English. Choices include Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Swedish and Thai.

Students in Year 12 and Year 13 have the option of pursuing the full IB Diploma Programme, taking individual IB courses and earning IB certificates, or taking any combination of NIST high school courses and IB courses. Regardless of the option they select, they must additionally meet community service requirements. All students who successfully complete the upper secondary curriculum receive their high school diplomas, and those who receive satisfactory grades on their IB examinations receive IB certificates and/or the IB Diploma.

In 2014 NIST partnered with Yokohama International School and Zurich International School in offering the Global Citizen Diploma (GCD), an optional, additive certificate that reflects graduates' leadership, service and community engagement. The GCD aims to identify "the diversity of gifts students may have, rather than assuming the importance of any particular set of skills or knowledge, based on any cultural bias." It thus complements traditional grading systems to provide universities with additional information about student applicants.

NIST students consistently outperform global averages based on standardized measurements. The Class of 2014 scored an average of 36 points on the IB diploma examinations compared to the world average of approximately 30, with 28% of the students earning 40 or higher and 41% earning 38 or higher, compared to the respective global averages of 9% and 5%. The school's graduates have been accepted to top-ranked universities worldwide, among them:

Extra-curricular activities

NIST was one of the founding members of the Southeast Asian Schools Athletic Conference (SEASAC), an association of twelve major international schools in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Indonesia. SEASAC events include sports, arts and academic competitions. NIST's athletic teams also compete in the Bangkok International Schools Athletic Conference (BISAC). NIST has won numerous awards in basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball, frequently finishing first in local and international tournaments, both for girls and boys. NIST also has varsity teams for tennis, badminton, swimming, softball and rugby. All NIST teams are the Falcons, named for the school mascot, and wear blue uniforms highlighted with silver, grey and/or white. Because of NIST's indoor gymnasium facilities and its outdoor swimming pool, the school frequently hosts local and international volleyball, basketball, badminton and swimming competitions.

Notable students and alumni