AISB Global Impact Diploma

The Global Impact Diploma (GID) at AISB Education Designed for a World of Impact.

What will your impact be?

The GID is designed for students who want to challenge themselves academically, cultivate a sense of purpose, and solve real-world problems through innovative thinking.

The Global Impact Diploma (GID)

Education Designed for a World of Impact (Grades 11-12) The Global Impact Diploma (GID) is a transformative two or three-year high school program that launched at AISB at the beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. Developed in collaboration with over 100 international schools, the GID offers students a distinct advantage by preparing them for university and life beyond it within the complex world they will inherit.

Leading Innovation In Education: The American International School of Budapest is proud to be a founding school and one of only four schools worldwide offering the full Global Impact Diploma, positioning us at the forefront of future-focused education.

The GID is offered alongside our existing AISB High School Diploma and IB Diploma pathways.

We are also the first school in the world to partner with the IB to offer the IB-GID Dual Diploma option. This allows students to earn the full Global Impact Diploma and IB Diploma together over three years.

The GID Philosophy: Three Pillars of Success The GID is rooted in three essential, interconnected pillars that equip students with the mindset and competencies to thrive and contribute meaningfully in every community: Pillar

What it Means for Your Child

Agency

Students are empowered to lead their own learning, set goals, take risks, and manage their time. They are encouraged to pursue passions and design a personalized learning pathway to contribution.

Meaningful Learning

Learning extends beyond the classroom. Students tackle authentic, realworld problems and connect academic concepts to global challenges, ensuring their learning is both relevant and purposeful.

Wellbeing

The program prioritizes mental and emotional health, helping students learn strategies for self-regulation and flourishing. It fosters an inclusive, supportive environment where students can navigate change.

Program Structure: Competencies and Core Courses The Global Impact Diploma is a two-year sequence of courses that integrates and augments the student's existing AISB curriculum.

It is focused on building and demonstrating mastery of six core competencies: Drive Impact Design Collaborative Impact

Empathetic Impact Reflection Communication

Students pursue the GID by completing a core set of required courses and specialized experiences:

Required GID Coursework Foundations of Leadership for Impact (Core Requirement): Equips learners with the mindset and tools to lead themselves and others toward positive change.

Agency for Impact (2 Courses): Focuses on real-world impact outside the classroom.

Internship for Impact: A real-world experience where students immerse themselves in an organization, developing career-ready skills.

Impact Project: A student-created solution to an authentic problem of their choice.

Collaboration for Impact (2 Courses): Prepares students to be effective leaders and members of interdisciplinary teams.

Business, English & Entrepreneurship for Impact English, Design & the Imperfect Art of Living Science, Art & Innovation Studio Specialization for Impact (2 Courses): Enables students to deepen their knowledge in a chosen area of focus.

Personalized Specialization To pursue the GID, students choose an area of focus (e.g., business, law, sustainability) and design a personalized plan with their counselor. Specialization courses can be taken through AISB, Global Online Academy (GOA), IB, or AP, ensuring academic rigor and depth.

The GID Advantage: University and Career Readiness The Global Impact Diploma is a powerful credential that ensures students stand out in the competitive university admissions process.

Graduates receive the globally recognized AISB High School Diploma and the specialized GID distinction.

A Competitive Edge in University Admissions While the GID is a new initiative, universities are increasingly recognizing the value of authentic assessment and competency-based learning. The GID provides concrete evidence of a student’s skills that traditional courses may not emphasize.

Feature

GID Student Advantage

Impact Portfolio

A curated collection of artifacts and evidence of learning that captures the student’s journey, competencies, and purpose. This provides admissions officers with a richer, more vibrant view of the applicant than a standard transcript.

Impact Exhibition

A modern-day "thesis defense" where students present their work to an authentic audience, showcasing their communication and design skills under external moderation.

Real-World Experience

The mandatory Internship for Impact and Impact Project provides tangible evidence of career exploration and professional readiness.

University Acceptance Success The AISB Innovation Diploma, “the program that is now transitioning to the GID,” has a proven track record of successful university placements across diverse programs and global regions.

Students pursuing this pathway in 2025 received offers and acceptances from institutions including (but not limited to) those below.

The lists are sorted from most selective to least selective within each region:

Region

Sample University Offers & Acceptances (2025)

Sample Program Areas

United States

Tulane University, University of Miami, University of California-Davis, Syracuse University, George Washington University, University of Pittsburgh

Sports Administration, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Communications

Europe & UK

Trinity College Dublin, University of Birmingham, Cardiff University, University of Arts London, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems

Graphic Design, Creative Writing, Startup Management

The Global Impact Diploma is a testament to AISB's dedication to preparing students for university and beyond. It reflects our belief that today's learners deserve an education that values who they are, encourages them to act with purpose, and prepares them to make a meaningful difference in the world.

Dana (‘25), Trinity College Dublin, Ireland The GID gave me the freedom to develop exactly the areas that I thrive in, as well as encouraged me to be the main driver of my own choices and projects.

Ferenc (‘25), IMC University of Applied Science Krems, Austria The phrase “modern education” is a paradox; it’s not modern, it’s 150 years old. The GID is a firm step towards rewriting education so it’s relevant to the modern age, and it has been the best education I’ve taken part in.

Ethan (‘25), Brigham Young University, USA

JJ (‘25), University of Miami, USA

Being the start to such an amazing program has been such a blessing and has truly prepared me for more than just my future studies, but life overall. If I went back to the moment where I had to choose which program to join, I would choose this one every time.

The GID wasn't just a course we completed; it was a mindset we lived for two years and will carry with us.

We questioned, created, failed forward, and proved that bold ideas have a place in every classroom.