The International Global Studies School, better known as IGSS, is a program for junior and senior students at New Trier that allows students to take control of their own education.

“In IGSS there’s a huge focus on letting students create their own education. As a student we have a lot of choice in what and how we learn and there is a lot of freedom. The teachers understand that not all students learn the same way,” said junior Ella Harris.

IGSS is a much more give and take kind of education compared to the traditional classroom environment. Everyone is there to learn, including teachers.

“If a student believes that something isn’t being covered well enough, they often step in and show what they know. I noticed that a topic wasn’t being covered in our race unit and I actually ended up teaching about color barriers in sports for two weeks,” continued Harris.

IGSS also works differently than most traditional classroom settings.

“IGSS has an Environmental Science course, but we also talk about lots of other subjects including physics, geoscience, astronomy and even nuclear science,” explained senior Kaleigh Dolan.

Dolan added, “In US History, it’s like a normal classroom, except you present a lot of material to the class. In Art History, you learn a lot about technique and do really different artwork. English is like any English class, but with a little bit more emphasis on creative writing.”

IGSS is generally a more project-based course track that encourages students to present what they know. According to IGSS students, this helps students care about the information instead of just cramming to memorize the information so they can do well on a test or two.

Because IGSS students are together for three periods in a row every day, they’ve grown into a real community and have gotten to know each other very well.

“We spend three periods together so everyone knows everyone pretty well. There is a large social component to IGSS as well. There is a lot of group work, and other events such as a coffee house and IGSS Lock-In. These bring us together as a community,” said Dolan.

One thing IGSS students pride themselves on is that they enjoy coming to class every day.

“It is my favorite part of the day. I have made so many friends in IGSS that it’s fun just to walk into class and see everyone,” said Harris.

Being excited about coming to school every day isn’t something every student experiences.

Some students aren’t comfortable in every class. IGSS is a safe place where students come to learn and be part of a small family with a common interest.

“Everyone in IGSS is so different, but what ties us all together is our excitement to come to class. We all want to be there and that creates this living environment. The discussions we have are passionate and the projects we do allow us to direct our own education,” said Dolan.

The IGSS community often proves to be a more politically and socially literate group as they share what they know with each other and the movement often produces people who have a hunger for education.

“There are a lot of stereotypes that come with IGSS, but really we are a big family that sees the different possibilities in education, and we take them into the world around us,” said Harris.