Complex challenges demand dynamic leadership—and no leaders are alike. Through compelling case studies of local and global leaders, you’ll examine how different approaches can spark systemic transformation. Featured cases move beyond climate adaptation and resilience to explore related challenges, such as global migration, artificial intelligence ethics, economic inequality, and civil unrest. What unites these cases? Leaders who demonstrate tenacity, adaptability, and creativity in the face of seemingly intractable problems. Guest speakers—often those featured in the cases themselves—will be invited in regularly to add context, challenge students’ thinking, and showcase a diverse range of leadership styles and identities. Throughout the semester, you’ll receive personalized mentoring to develop your own leadership voice and vision. You’ll emerge with more than just case studies and leadership theory: you’ll gain a clear sense of your capacity to drive change and practical tools to do so.

How do storytellers harness the power of words, images, and interactive media to shape public discourse? From Elizabeth Kolbert to Ta-Nehisi Coates, Amitav Ghosh to Robin Kimmerer, we’ll examine how influential voices transform our understanding of systemic social and environmental issues. We’ll also analyze a wide range of visual rhetoric, including multimedia profiles, narrative documentaries, and investigative journalism. Throughout the course, you’ll engage with challenging arguments; dissect the mechanics of persuasion; evaluate the impact of design choices; and hone your ability to craft powerful narratives. At the end of the semester, you will co-produce a new issue of the Catalyst magazine, a multimedia publication featuring student perspectives on leadership, climate, and society.

What can past responses to environmental and economic challenges teach us about tackling today’s complex problems? Through the lens of environmental history, economics, and public policy, you’ll examine watershed moments that transformed how societies approach crisis. From the “California effect” to the recovery of the ozone layer, you’ll analyze how different solutions played out—including their unexpected consequences. You’ll explore both successful interventions and persistent challenges. How did Yosemite’s preservation reshape our relationship with wild spaces? What trade-offs emerged between economic growth and environmental protection? What makes some solutions stick while others falter? You’ll put this historical knowledge into action by researching and developing your own policy briefs. By semester’s end, you’ll be prepared to critically assess both the promise and pitfalls of proposed solutions.

This rigorous biology course provides a framework for students to investigate all aspects of the living world. Students will have the opportunity to explore real-world phenomena through inquiry-based learning, field trips, labs, and data analysis. The units will address the concepts of ecosystem interactions, energy flow in a system, evolution, genetics, cell theory, and climate change. Students will build laboratory and argumentative skills while also getting to explore and understand the biology behind modern-day environmental issues plaguing California. To fulfill Menlo’s yearlong Biology graduation requirement, students will be enrolled in a second semester of Biology (beyond their Catalyst Semester) during their Junior year.

How do we engineer solutions when “normal” no longer exists? In this course, you will use a Design Thinking lens to explore technologies shaped by climate change, from the systems that accelerate it to the innovations that mitigate its impact. We will examine current energy production technologies, approaches to large-scale implementation, and the value of looking to nature for design inspiration. Through partnerships with History, English, and Biology, we will deepen our learning through interdisciplinary perspectives and explore how scientific, cultural, and ecological narratives intertwine.

In addition to numerous other takeaways, you will gain a working understanding of how the U.S. energy grid functions and how collective action challenges shape our responses to crises. Drawing on biomimicry, you will design a technological intervention that targets a real component of the climate system. Throughout the course, you will balance conceptual exploration with creative, hands-on engineering projects that build both mindset and technical skill. By semester’s end, you will be equipped to imagine and prototype innovative solutions for an unpredictable future.

Students enrolled in the Catalyst Semester will be supported to continue their Menlo Math trajectory. Regardless of the level at which they enroll, students will learn the same concepts as they would have if they were not enrolled in the Catalyst Semester and enjoy highly differentiated, problem-based, small-group instruction. In addition, they will enjoy opportunities to apply these concepts to other course areas as a means of understanding the real-world challenges at hand. Students will be enrolled in a second semester of this course (beyond their Catalyst Semester) during their Junior year. It is our intent to serve all interested students, regardless of Math level: should a student wish to enroll in Catalyst and require levels other than those listed, we encourage them to reach out to discuss their unique situation.

Spanish, Mandarin, French, Latin: Levels 3-4+

Students who wish to continue their study of one of the World Languages currently offered at Menlo will be supported to do so through an individualized language tutorial. Curriculum will be designed in consultation with Menlo World Language faculty and supported by carefully selected language tutors who will deliver a mix of live and asynchronous materials both in person and/or online. Exact programs will be determined based on the specific language, level, and needs of each student. Heavy emphasis will be placed on students’ authentic use of the target language and in ensuring they are prepared to re-enter our Menlo language classrooms during their Junior spring semester and/or fall of Senior year.