Dwight Seoul ignites the spark of genius in every child. Backed by over 150 years of experience, the IB Continuum School located in the Digital Media City in Mapo-Gu is providing an international education to the highest recognised academic standards — and so much more.

There are many opportunities for students to develop emotionally, physically, creatively and socially here. Countless families can attest Dwight Seoul does it all. Each has a success story to share, and no two are ever the same.

When American national Nicole Kempton moved to Korea with her two sons, she sought a school that would bring out their fullest potential while providing them with an enriching out-of-classroom experience. After carefully considering the international schools in Korea, she decided her son Charlie should join Dwight Seoul.

The mother and son have not looked back since. Learning is fun here, letting Charlie thrive.

At Dwight Seoul, students like Charlie follow curricula that are imaginative, personal and experiential. Instead of focusing on tests and memorising concepts and theories, teachers would tailor classes to the interests and curiosities of their students, spurring them to synthesise ideas, think critically over a range of subjects and stay engaged.

“I really like Dwight Seoul’s emphasis on giving the child control and agency when it comes to their learning. The biggest thing is that he loves learning again. I’ve seen him take more responsibility for his studies, too. He seems more confident in his abilities and has higher expectations for himself.” says Nicole.

Unlocking hidden potential

When choosing a school for her Korean-American son, Sara Song wanted one that would let him pursue his personal passions — for as much as he likes. Such schools are only possible with dedicated teachers and resources, which is unlikely in regular Korean schools that follow a highly standardised curriculum with rote memorisation as the main evaluative method. 

When Sara found Dwight Seoul, an International Baccalaureate World school, she knew it would be good for her son Ian. Since joining, she has noticed many significant improvements in him. Ian is now more confident when making friends with an international student population at Dwight Seoul. This is continuously reflected in his leadership and collaboration skills when pursuing his areas of interest in the school community. 

A personalised education

Fulfilling activities, endless learning

Adaptability, leadership and collaboration were three of Ian’s biggest takeaways from the SPARK programme. As a 12th grader, Ian took up the challenge of starting his own SPARK programme that focused on coding. He was pushed out of his comfort zone to lead a group of people as well as navigate situations that were unfamiliar to him.

Since then, he has also stepped into leadership positions in the Entrepreneurship and Coding Club. Sara watches with pride as Ian continues to lead by example in his areas of interest. “The ECP programme provided a foundation and framework to explore various possible interests. Once Ian developed his own interests, he took on leadership roles to further expand the activity's goals and impact or would find a new club if none existed,” she says. 

Being provided with leadership opportunities has given Ian the chance to create gratifying moments during his time at Dwight Seoul. As a junior, he was the Model United Nations club's president and led its weekly meetings. He also taught and mentored fellow members. Watching like-minded individuals join in on his passion was the most rewarding for Ian.

“For example, in Model UN, I have a passion for speaking and conversing with others which I can spread through that club and it is extremely fulfilling to see others also pick up that passion and achieve even beyond what I’m doing in the particular area that they are good at.”

“One of the most fulfilling moments that I had is seeing others follow or join in the passion that I have and spreading that like-minded curiosity on a particular subject area,” he recalls. 

Dedicated teachers, building confidence

At Dwight Seoul, students of all ages are prepared to confidently transition into life’s next chapters. For Ian, the next step was college. Though both parent and child alike might find this stage to be daunting, Sara feels that Ian will be college-ready by the time he graduates. She credits this to the conducive university-like environment that encourages initiative and self-management. “Dwight Seoul has very high academic standards. Ian has had to learn how to manage the workload and his extracurricular activities to develop as an independent learner,” she says.

Despite the varying teaching styles found in the classroom, the one thing in common is how much each of his teachers has contributed to his self-confidence. “It is this teaching that enables someone to grow in the areas that they are at first shy about or unfamiliar with,” he says. 

An enriching academic journey awaits at Dwight Seoul