International School of Boston
International School of Boston is a bilingual co-educational TPS-12 private school in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
With 540 students from over 50 countries, ISB is one of the few schools in New England offering the International Baccalaureate. ISB also offers the French Baccalaureate, and all graduating seniors receive the American high school diploma in addition to one of these international diplomas.
History
The International School of Boston was founded in 1962 as the Jardin d’Enfants, by Marie-Madeleine Berry, in hopes of integrating French language and culture into children's educational experiences. The Jardin d’Enfants was one of the first bilingual programs in the United States.Since 1962, ISB has grown from 15 children to 540, and expanded to serve TPS through 12th grade. Students range in ages from 2 to 18 and come from 50 nations.
The school had a nomadic existence in its early years as it searched for suitable space. From the basement of the Lutheran Church in Belmont, to a church in Newton Corner, to the Armenian Church in Cambridge, to the Parmenter School on Irving Street in Arlington, it finally settled in 1997 in its current location in Cambridge. Its main building is the former Cambridge Almshouse, built in 1850 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It also underwent several name changes, including Ecole Bilingue de Boston, and French-American International School of Boston. Since January 2006, the English name has been the International School of Boston.