North’s Leadership in a Diverse Society class, which has existed for 30 years, will begin accepting 100 nominations for sophomores and juniors this month to take the year-long elective in the 2025-26 school year.

PEHW Department Chair Courtney Albert and English teacher Charlene Beh co-teach the g-block class, which aims to instruct students in how to effectively collaborate and lead in diverse societies. 

Every teacher at North, as well as students currently enrolled in the leadership class, have the opportunity to nominate sophomores and juniors for the elective for the following school year. 

“The class is about how to work together effectively and have an understanding of the identity and the experiences of the people you’re with,” said Beh.

According to senior Ashlyn Chan, teachers nominate students who they feel are able to voice their opinions and speak out about serious topics and social interactions.

Chan recommends the class “for students who are opinionated, able to handle many group discussions and reflections, and interested in discussing social justice issues.”

Senior Torsen Danell, who took the class as a junior, said that he was one of 38 students during the 2023-24 school year, while this year the class consists of only 22. 

“I made a lot of friends in the class that I probably wouldn’t have talked to outside of class,” Danell added.

According to Albert, this decrease in students is likely due to the year-long commitment. Albert said that not many students have enough space in their schedules for a class this long. 

Although it may not fit in some students’ schedules, the class is a great addition to a student’s college resume, according to Albert. 

“When you’re applying to college, you can write about stuff in the world that you’ve learned about and talked about in this class that I don’t think everyone can talk about,” Albert added.

During the school year, students will do two to three large-scale projects geared toward making Newton North a more inclusive community.

Chan added, “I do think that this class has changed my perspective on certain topics and how I view the world and the people in it.” 

Albert felt similarly, “Even as an adult, the amount of information that I’m learning in this class is great. There’s always more to learn.”