5 new New Trier courses locked in for next school year

Five new courses that New Trier High School officials believe will further enhance the student learning experience will be available next school year.

The district’s board of education in December approved a slate of new course proposals that will be implemented during the 2026-27 school year. In addition to the five new courses, the board also put its stamp of approval on 16 “minor modifications” to other courses.

The new courses will be worked into the applied arts, English, integrated global studies and kinetic wellness departments.

A “hands-on, experiential” teaching internship course “designed to bridge the gap between educational theory and classroom practice” will be added to applied arts.

According to district documents, the course will build on the existing Foundations of Teaching class and provide “aspiring educators with an opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in a real-world teaching environment under the guidance of an experienced mentor teacher.”

An AP literature and composition course on postcolonial literature will be added to the district’s English department.

In Integrated Global Studies School, an AP seminar and AP research course will be added while a personal training advanced-level class will be added to Kinetic Wellness.

The personal training course will, per the district, “empower junior and senior students to explore the science, strategy and ethics and of personal fitness through the lens of professional certification.”

Dr. Chimille Tillery, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said in a memo to district superintendent Dr. Peter Tragos that “the process for evaluating new course proposals is thorough and rigorous.”

New course proposals are first reviewed by the district’s curriculum and instruction administrators before a second round of vetting by the instructional leadership team, according to Tillery’s memo.

Tillery also said in her memo that the course proposals presented to the board “align New Trier’s strategic plan, especially in the area of experiential learning, access to rich and rigorous course work, and expansion of semester elective options.”

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