Curriculum & Departments

Our rigorous and innovative curriculum will help you explore your interests and chart your own path.

Gain a deep understanding of today’s most pressing global challenges, and explore how you can help solve them.

The Porter’s curriculum is grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation spanning science, math, technology, the arts, world languages and humanities. Experiential and interdisciplinary projects and classes go beyond the traditional scope of a high school curriculum to include comprehensive and future-focused offerings. 

Required coursework is complemented by a wide range of electives that allow you to personalize your education, dig deep into topics you love and explore new areas that pique your interest. It’s a highly relevant curriculum designed to help you develop essential skills, build confidence and pursue your passions. By graduation, you’ll be ready to take on complex problems with an innovative and collaborative mindset. 

A person draws on a gray comic panel page, outlining objects including a bucket labeled WATER BUCKET. Art supplies, a laptop, and a ruler are on the white desk.
A young girl with long brown hair and a red hair tie sits in a chair, holding a pen and notebook, attentively listening and taking notes in a classroom setting. Another person is blurred in the background.

Advanced Interdisciplinary Seminar (AIS) Courses

Once you’re ready for a greater challenge in your coursework, you’ll find a variety of AIS courses to choose from. At the intersection of intellectual rigor and applied learning, AIS courses push 11th and 12th grade students to ask thoughtful questions, evaluate information and find connections between related topics. 

More immersive and relevant than traditional Advanced Placement (AP) classes, AIS courses aren’t built around a single high-stakes exam. Instead, they emphasize experiential, project-based learning that pushes students beyond what’s required by most AP courses. The result is more critical thinking and a deeper understanding of complex topics.

Five girls sit and kneel on the carpeted floor in a bright room, working together on large sheets of paper, with a blue couch and a patterned armchair in the background.

Humanities

Use literature, history, philosophy, art and religion to develop a deep understanding of the histories and stories that shape our world.

Representative courses:
Literature of the Environment: Writing for Climate Justice
Reenvisioning Shakespeare: Why Shakespeare, Why Now?
The History and Literature of World Religions
AIS Political Philosophy: Theories of Justice

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Languages

Learn to communicate effectively and respectfully in your chosen language, explore the world beyond your immediate community and consider different global perspectives.


Representative courses:
AIS Chinese: Global Business
AIS French: Women Writing Back
AIS Latin: Damsels in Distress
AIS Spanish: Entrepreneurship Through Community Engagement

A young woman with long braided hair writes on a whiteboard filled with colorful notes, diagrams, and sketches in a classroom or study setting.

Mathematics

Cultivate lifelong logic, quantitative reasoning and problem-solving skills while prioritizing process over outcome.

Representative courses:
Statistics
AIS Mathematics: Discrete Math
AIS Mathematics: Post-Calculus Through Narrative
AIS Mathematics: Number Theory

A person uses a pipette to place liquid into a small vial in an orange test tube rack. Scissors, a wristwatch, and other lab items are on the table. Another person stands nearby.

Science

Through lab-based coursework in biology, chemistry, environmental science and physics, collaborate with peers and build a strong understanding of the scientific method and science literacy.

Representative courses:
Freshwater Ecology: Unique Properties of Water
Forensics
AIS Biology: Evolution, Epidemics and Conquering Cancer
AIS Psychology: Brain, Mind and Society

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Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Gain the skills necessary to shape a changing world through experiential, practical and project-based learning across a diverse range of disciplines like design, marketing, finance, computer science and engineering.

Representative courses:
Digital Game Design and Development
Investing in the Stock Market
Principles of Engineering
AIS Computational Creativity

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Visual Arts

With one-on-one guidance from practicing artists, explore different visual arts disciplines and express your individual voice, experiences and ideas in unique and creative ways.

Representative courses:
Advanced Ceramics
Digital Photography
Filmmaking
Studio Art

Two people perform onstage. One wears a white dress and gestures strongly, while the other, dressed in a red plaid shirt and camouflage pants, responds with a raised hand. A bench and blue backdrop are visible behind them.

Performing Arts

While learning from celebrated performing artists, push your performance skills to the next level and show them off during showcases throughout the school year.

Representative courses:
Ballet for Athletes
Drama in the 21st Century
Public Speaking
Songwriting and Composition

Sample Coursework by Year

FallWinterSpring
Chinese Foundations AHumanities 9 (History & English)
STEM 9: Environmental Lab Science & Conceptual PhysicsAlgebra 1
Intro to InquiryHealth & WellnessStudio ArtIntro to Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Fall 

Winter Spring

Chinese Foundations A

Humanities 9 (History & English)

STEM 9: Environmental Lab Science & Conceptual Physics

Algebra 1

Intro to Inquiry Health & Wellness Studio Art

Intro to Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Sample Coursework by Year – Emma’s attempt

FallWinterSpring
Chinese Foundations AHumanities 9 (History & English)
STEM 9: Environmental Lab Science & Conceptual PhysicsAlgebra 1
Intro to InquiryHealth & WellnessStudio ArtIntro to Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Sample Coursework by Year – prebuilt “small table”

FallWinterSpring
EnglishHistoryScience
ElectiveMathWorld Language
ArtTechnology, Innovation,

and Entrepreneurship
Elective/ Free Block