Illyria News
What's happening at Illyria: read highlights of our school’s journey, vision, and impact within the community. Here you'll find more information about our story, educational philosophy, and the work we are doing to create a meaningful learning experience for children and families.
Illyria International School Launches Sailing Program Rooted in Heritage, Stewardship, and Adventure
When most children learn to sail, they step into fiberglass boats built by strangers. At Illyria International School, students step aboard vessels with a story.
This year, Illyria launched an innovative sailing program that blends maritime skills, environmental stewardship, engineering, craftsmanship, and Croatian heritage into one hands-on learning experience.
At the heart of the program are two handcrafted wooden boats donated by Seattle shipbuilder Mike Vlahovic, whose Croatian roots inspired him to return to Brač and share his lifelong passion with the next generation. Built by hand in the United States using techniques passed down from his own grandfather, the boats have now found a new home on the island where his family history began.
Rather than simply using the boats, Illyria students have become their caretakers.
They learn how to rig the masts, launch and recover the boats, sand and stain the timber, perform repairs, protect the wood from the elements, and understand the craftsmanship required to preserve traditional wooden sailing vessels.
“It isn’t just about learning to sail,” explains Principal Felisha Martin. “It’s about learning responsibility. These boats have been entrusted to our students, and with that comes pride, stewardship, and respect for both history and the sea.”
The program is led by Bartol Sekira, an Oxford-trained engineer who also teaches mathematics at Illyria. Combining analytical thinking with a lifelong love of sailing, Sekira guides students through everything from the physics of wind and buoyancy to teamwork, navigation, and practical seamanship.
Set against the crystal waters of Brač, the sailing program reflects Illyria’s philosophy that meaningful education happens when learning extends beyond classroom walls. Every lesson becomes an opportunity to connect science, mathematics, history, environmental responsibility, and personal growth.
For the students, these boats are far more than equipment.
They are a legacy—one that now rests in the hands of a new generation.
A New Chapter for Education on Brač: Illyria International School Opens Its Doors
A new educational vision has arrived on the island of Brač.
Illyria International School was founded with a simple but ambitious goal: to create a school where children feel known, valued, challenged, and inspired to become compassionate global citizens.
Located in Supetar, Illyria combines international best practices with the rich cultural heritage and natural environment of Croatia. Rather than separating education from community, the school embraces the island itself as an extension of the classroom.
Students explore history through local stone masonry traditions, science through the Adriatic Sea, mathematics through real-world problem solving, and environmental stewardship through authentic projects that connect learning to everyday life.
The school’s inquiry-based approach encourages students to ask meaningful questions, think critically, collaborate across disciplines, and develop confidence as independent learners.
Principal Felisha Martin believes education should prepare children not only for university but for life.
“Our goal is to raise curious thinkers, kind humans, and courageous problem-solvers who understand both their local community and their place in the wider world.”
Families are drawn to Illyria’s intentionally small learning environment, where teachers know every student personally and education is tailored to individual strengths and interests.
From sailing and outdoor education to multilingual learning and international-mindedness, Illyria reflects a belief that exceptional education should be both academically rigorous and deeply human.
As the school continues to grow, it aims to become a model for innovative international education while remaining firmly rooted in the culture, history, and beauty of Brač.
Illyria International School Becomes an IB Candidate School
Two years ago, the vision for Illyria International School began with a simple question: What if children on Brač could access a world-class international education without leaving the island?
Today, that vision has taken a significant step forward.
Illyria International School is proud to announce that it has officially become a Candidate School for the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, marking an important milestone in the school’s ongoing commitment to educational excellence.
Becoming an IB Candidate School is the result of years of planning, professional development, curriculum design, and a shared commitment to creating an educational experience that develops not only academic excellence, but curiosity, compassion, resilience, and global citizenship.
The International Baccalaureate is recognized around the world for its rigorous academic framework and emphasis on inquiry, critical thinking, intercultural understanding, and meaningful action. As Illyria progresses through the candidacy process toward authorization, the school will continue aligning its curriculum, teaching practices, and learning environment with internationally recognized IB standards.
For Principal Felisha Martin, the achievement represents far more than a new accreditation.
“This milestone reflects the belief that children on Brač deserve access to an education that is every bit as inspiring and globally connected as any major city in the world. We are building a school where international standards and local identity work hand in hand.”
While deeply connected to the island’s history and community, Illyria’s educational philosophy encourages students to become internationally minded learners who understand their responsibility to both local and global communities.
Learning extends well beyond classroom walls. Students investigate real-world problems, spend significant time learning outdoors, engage in interdisciplinary projects, and develop the confidence to ask thoughtful questions and pursue meaningful solutions.
The candidacy also reflects the dedication of Illyria’s teachers, families, students, and wider community, whose collective support has helped transform an ambitious vision into reality.
As the school continues its journey toward full IB authorization, Illyria remains committed to creating an environment where curiosity is celebrated, every child is known, and education prepares young people not simply for examinations, but for lives of purpose, service, and lifelong learning.
This is an important milestone—but it is only the beginning.