DAPHNE, Ala. — Ruth Seawell, Supporting Education Enrichment in Daphne’s Schools president, said the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme was one of SEEDS’ top three objectives from the beginning.

SEEDS did much to rally support for the program. They organized town meetings to get parents and students involved, talked to the Baldwin County Board of Education and got a resolution passed by Daphne’s city council saying they’d support the program, Seawell said.

Perhaps needless to say, the organization’s members were pleased with last week’s announcement that Daphne and Fairhope high schools would implement the program.

“I’m ecstatic about Daphne getting the IB program,” Ruth Seawell, SEEDS president, said. “We’ve been working on this since the beginning — for the past three and a half years.”

Many people don’t realize that the IB program isn’t just for gifted students; it’s also for high-achievers, for those who want to work hard and broaden their learning experiences, Seawell said.

Seawell explained that the whole school will benefit from the program. It will raise the bar for all.

“It’s just like with athletics,” Seawell said. “The better the teams you play against, the better you become.”

Students from IB schools will be viewed differently by colleges and scholarship programs; they will know that school set greater standards, Seawell said.

“My child is a ninth-grader and is in the IB program,” Seawell said. “When I listen to him talk about the topics and the interactions with teachers, I am really impressed.

“He was excited about going back to school on Monday.”