Since its very beginnings, the International Baccalaureate Honor Society (IBHS) has helped students escape academic stress and social pressures at Gables. IBHS has been an exceptional club for seven years, and over time has initiated various activities under the guidance of IB coordinator, Mrs. Van Wyk.

Although there are many honor societies at Gables, IBHS is unique. Not only is IBHS a student centered club, but it also partnered with Miami Children’s’ Hospital and a poor rural school district in Honduras to create productive and effective community service projects.

“I don’t believe any other club has programs like we do, and if you are in IB then this is a great honor society to partake in. We work a lot within our school and among classmates benefiting each other along with the community,” senior and IBHS President Marianna Babonni said.

In order to accomplish its central purpose and assist the community, IBHS has implemented and initiated several projects. It is projects like Adopt a Freshman and the Mentoring Minds workshops that make the club meaningful. Not to mention the upcoming Bridge 4 Peace event that will finalize what has been a successful school year for IBHS.

“Every year, IBHS sponsors and puts together Bridge 4 Peace. It’s a small event put together by IB students and our way of giving back to those in need, and having the majority of it put together by students in the club definitely makes us unique,” sophomore Guneet Moihdeen said.

This year, Bridge 4 Peace will be raising money for the Belsonda Aashram orphanage in Chhattisgarh, India, which shelters and raises young girls whose parents were murdered by the Naxalits, a local terrorist group. With the money raised through Bridge 4 Peace, IBHS hopes to build a new well since the one currently in use is rundown.

Unlike past years, this Bridge 4 Peace will be an international dinner, as opposed to a marathon or walk, that will be held on April 7 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Coral Gables Museum. The dinner will include an international selection of foods as well as cultural entertainment. All members of the community will be allowed to attend with a $20 donation/entrance fee.

Although IBHS has not been around for too long, it has become highly influential at both a local and international level. It not only helps students survive IB, but also offers its members opportunities to gives back to the community.