Upper
School

FPO

At the Nueva Upper School, high school is reimagined as a journey of inquiry, collaboration, and self-discovery. Here, students thrive in a culture that values curiosity over competition and connection over conformity—developing into resilient, creative thinkers ready to make a meaningful impact.

At Nueva, students are empowered to take ownership of their high school experience through meaningful choice and self-advocacy. With support from their teachers, they explore their interests, propose ideas, and navigate real-world constraints, skills that foster lasting engagement and help prepare them for life beyond high school. This agency helps students understand that their voices matter and that they have the power to shape their own learning journeys. It's not just about freedom; it's about cultivating the confidence and mindset to lead with purpose.

When you’re in an environment that encourages mistakes, when you’re not in an arms race to add the most points to your GPA, when your school doesn’t make you compete for award after award and instead makes space in your schedule to investigate topics that fascinate you, this is when you are truly able to be collaborative, creative, to take risks in classes or new subjects, to celebrate others’ successes, and to learn from your failures.

— Cate Rose ’22

Sample Schedule

Click to view 9th grade sample schedule

Course Catalog

Click to view the 2025–26 Upper School course catalog

Distinctive Elements of the Nueva Upper School

Social-emotional learning

The three-year social-emotional learning curriculum is an opportunity for Nueva students to learn life skills and become more empathetic, compassionate individuals. Classes cover a range of topics, from psychology to philosophy—all related to social relationships and human behavior.

Intersession

For four days in January, students participate in workshops led by alumni, parents, and visiting professionals. Past topics have included Artisanal Pizza Making, Public Speaking, Mongolian Dancing, Tech Beyond Coding, Metalworking, American Sign Language, Bioarchaeology, and more.

 

Quest

Every year, all students embark on a Quest: a passion project designed for students to dive deep into their unique interests, independently or alongside teachers and mentors. After their first Quest, which is individual, students may also work in groups to tackle larger-scale projects.

 

Curricular grade-level trips

The Trips program moves learning beyond the classroom and into the world, both domestically and internationally. Designed as an extension of the curriculum, these journeys immerse students in local cultures and history, encouraging them to engage with and reflect on both the world and themselves.

Clubs and affinity groups

Over 100 student-run clubs are launched annually at the Clubs Fair, encompassing activism, community service, arts, humanities, STEM, sports, and more. In addition, there are over 20 affinity groups centered around the diverse mix of languages and cultures represented by students and faculty.

Athletics

Offering 10 sports, the Athletics program emphasizes commitment, character development, and resilience—skills that student-athletes carry beyond the courts and fields and into the rest of their lives. Since 2015, Nueva has won 35 league championships and 30 athletes have been named league MVP. 

Design thinking and engineering

In both Nueva’s Innovation Lab (I-Lab) and as part of their core and elective classes, students are immersed in the philosophies of empathy-centered design, which include research, collaboration, prototyping, iteration, and decision-making.
 

Electives

More than 85% of the Upper School curriculum is elective-based, and—with the opportunity to choose from hundreds of advanced, specialized classes in all disciplines—students design their schedules based on their unique interests and passions.

 

The Nueva Way at the Upper School

At the Upper School, students’ interests and passions shape every aspect of their experience. With more than 100 electives that both fulfill graduation requirements and invite deep exploration, students are empowered to chart their own learning journey. 

Teachers design courses that emphasize sustainability, global awareness, and interdisciplinary thinking. Assignments are grounded in real-world challenges and structured to encourage creativity and individual expression. Students engage in collaborative, thought-provoking projects—from examining historical events through unique lenses to coding mathematical models—developing the adaptability and problem-solving skills that define a Nueva education. 

Beyond the classroom, students grow through a vibrant array of co- and extracurricular opportunities. Clubs, arts, athletics, and many other activities contribute to a well-rounded, joyful learning environment where students can connect, take risks, and thrive.


 

Internship Program

The Internship Program connects eligible Nueva upper school students with partner organizations for summer internships. Employers submit a position description that best meets their needs and students apply with a resume and cover letter. Internship program opportunities span fields including technology, research, politics, medicine, publishing, fine arts, and more.

Learn more

College Counseling

Nueva students are bright, curious individuals whose high school journeys are guided by their unique passions, and our college counselors—industry experts well-versed in the needs of Nueva students—guide them through the important college-application process. The team provides writing support, strategy guidance, and workshops, and facilitates college visits to Nueva. College counselors are also only one part of the college decision-making process at Nueva: teachers, advisors, and deans are all important resources for students.

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The Writing & Research Center

The Writing & Research Center is a dedicated two-story facility focused on literature, research, and academic inquiry. Students engage with its extensive collections and collaborate in thoughtfully designed, comfortable study spaces.

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Design Thinking and Engineering

Nueva Upper School students quickly become adept in design thinking, engineering, and computer science through hands-on, human-centered challenges that build computational thinking and problem-solving skills. They also learn to use the I-Lab’s vast array of tools safely and responsibly.

Electives such as Design Engineering for Social Good, Machine Learning, and Engineering and Fabrication Workshop offer real-world, project-based learning rooted in the Nueva Way philosophy. As students gain experience, design thinking becomes second nature—an intuitive approach to identifying needs, prototyping, iterating, and implementing solutions. They emerge as empowered changemakers, ready to navigate a future that demands resilience and innovation.

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Global Citizenship

At Nueva, students are equipped to thrive in an interconnected world. They learn from one another, apply design thinking to understand global issues through active engagement, and develop the personal and collaborative skills needed to create meaningful change. Social-emotional learning supports their ability to connect across cultures and perspectives.

Immersive school trips—both local and global—offer rich, experiential learning. Our cross-disciplinary approach to environmental education fosters the development of thoughtful leaders committed to building a more sustainable future.

Learn more

 

Upper School Stories

Upper School Coffeehouse: Fall 2025 Recap
Upper School Coffeehouse: Fall 2025 Recap

On October 3, the Upper School Arts Team presented Fall Coffeehouse—a bi-annual evening of performances by Upper School students, faculty, and staff that drew an audience from across all divisions.

Snapshots: A Day in the Life of an Upper School Student
Snapshots: A Day in the Life of an Upper School Student

Upper School student Anika A. ’29 takes us on a walk through her classes. She brings us along as she discusses women’s roles during the Tang dynasty; practices debate with classmates; has a conversation about Greek mythology; and builds two-verb sentences in Spanish.

Welcome to the Biology Research Teams (BRT): A Community of Discovery and Growth
Welcome to the Biology Research Teams (BRT): A Community of Discovery and Growth

Upper School biology teachers Jehnna Ronan and Lindy Jensen ask BRT1 and BRT2 students each spring to share advice for future classmates. What began as a simple self-evaluation prompt has become both a source of curriculum inspiration and a way to strengthen community ties.

Read on for a sample of the advice that Jehnna described as “so sweet, wise, and actionable—it seemed a shame to keep it to ourselves.”

This I Believe
This I Believe

One of the goals of eleventh grade social-emotional learning is simplifying complex ideas, or, as [teachers] say, “clarifying muddy water.” A more surprising goal of the year-long class  is “muddying those that seem clear.”

In Few Words, a World
In Few Words, a World

This spring, creative writing students and a visiting poet explored how careful attention—and brevity—can reveal deeper truths about the world around us. Through flash nonfiction, poetry, and quiet observation, they examined how even the smallest moments can hold meaning.