IB, Apex2100 and Hive Learning collaborate on performance and wellness app

The International Baccalaureate (IB) has announced a collaboration with international ski academy, Apex2100, and EdTech innovator, Hive Learning, to create a mobile app designed to support IB educators, parents and students by providing comprehensive, yet easily understood and actionable, performance and wellness content.

The announcement was made at the IB Global Conference, the IB’s largest annual gathering of educators and innovators in the Africa, Europe and Middle East (AEM) region, which is being held for the first time in the Middle East in the United Arab Emirates.

Apex2100’s performance and wellness content, which has been designed to drive peak performance in the academy’s student-athletes, aligns with the IB’s philosophy of mental and physical balance and Dr Siva Kumari, IB’s Director General, said: “Young people need a strong sense of self and balance to manage external pressures and internal growth, and to reach their full potential. The collaboration aims to assist students – and the teachers and parents who act as partners in their education and growth – in achieving this confidence and balance.”

The content will be delivered via a mobile learning app provided by Hive Learning. Sir Clive Woodward, keynote speaker at the IB Global Conference, Director of Sport at Apex2100 and the Founder and Chairman of Hive Learning, said: “The app will provide users with activities for learning in eight strands: Strength and conditioning; growth mindset; visual intelligence; nutrition; health management; balance and coordination; sleep and recovery; digital wellness.”

The app will be made available first as a pilot to 15 – 20 selected Primary Years Programme (PYP) schools from October 2020. In the interim, the IB’s PYP team of curriculum experts is working with Apex2100’s team of performance experts to further align the content with IB’s principles and standards.

Kumari said: “The IB aims to help prepare young students in PYP schools for optimal performance as learners. Starting at this early stage will set students up with healthy habits making wellness a routine rather than an add-on. Based on the outcomes of the pilot, we hope to be able to launch the app in all PYP schools and potentially create tailored versions for Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP) and Career-related Programme (CP) schools.

Apex2100, which aims to become the world's leading high-performance academy for young, aspiring athletes wanting to achieve their goals in alpine skiing, is applying for IB World School candidacy to enable it to deliver the CP.