Mark Twain International School

"Mark Twain International School, located in Voluntari, Romania, offers families a well-rounded international education rooted in the values of inquiry, critical thinking, and global citizenship."

As a private institution, the school serves students and families who are seeking an academically rigorous and internationally recognized pathway for their children, making it a compelling choice for expat families, relocating professionals, and local Romanian families with international ambitions. Founded in 2006, Mark Twain International School has spent nearly two decades building a reputation as one of Romania's established providers of internationally oriented education. Located in Voluntari, a community situated on the northern edge of Bucharest, the school benefits from proximity to the capital while offering a setting that many families find more accessible and less congested than central city locations. This positioning makes it a practical option for families living in and around the greater Bucharest metropolitan area. At the heart of the school's academic identity is its commitment to the International Baccalaureate framework. Mark Twain International School offers all three of the IB's core school-age programmes: the Primary Years Programme, the Middle Years Programme, and the Diploma Programme. This means that a student can enter the school in the early years and follow a single, coherent educational philosophy all the way through to the IB Diploma, which is widely recognized by universities across Europe, North America, and beyond. The IB's emphasis on transdisciplinary learning, intercultural understanding, and student agency runs through every stage of the school's curriculum, giving students not just academic knowledge but the thinking tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex world. Language plays a central role in the school's character. Instruction is delivered in English, Romanian, and other languages, reflecting both the international profile of the student body and the school's commitment to equipping students with meaningful multilingual skills. For expat families arriving in Romania, the strong presence of English as a language of instruction provides immediate accessibility. At the same time, the inclusion of Romanian ensures that students develop a genuine connection to the country in which they are living, which can be invaluable for families planning an extended stay. The multilingual environment also mirrors the real-world contexts in which many of these students will eventually study and work. What distinguishes Mark Twain International School is the combination of a complete IB continuum, a multilingual instructional environment, and a community that brings together international and local families under a shared educational vision. For parents weighing their options in the Bucharest region, this continuity matters enormously — the ability to enroll a young child and trust that the same philosophical and academic thread will carry them through to university entrance removes considerable uncertainty from the relocation experience. The school's name, a nod to one of literature's great champions of curiosity and independent thought, speaks to an underlying spirit that the institution appears to carry into its everyday approach to learning. Families looking for a school that takes both academic excellence and the development of the whole child seriously will find Mark Twain International School a strong candidate worth exploring.