IMPACT classes are not your standard elective. Each course is structured around a central driving question, and throughout the class, students explore how they can make a difference within and beyond the KO community. The IMPACT program began in the 2024-2025 school year and has since surged in popularity. For the upcoming school year, the community saw a need for more of these classes due to their large popularity, so six new IMPACT classes were added to the curriculum.
Students’ curiosity is used to decide what IMPACT classes will be added to the curriculum in order to make the classes as engaging as possible. Freshman Claire Mitchell is taking the IMPACT: Cultivating Change in Pollinators Gardens class this year, and she explained how she sees the class. “You do something outside of just learning,” she said. “You are taking action, and impacting things with your actions.”
An IMPACT class is interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary, according to Director of Academic Planning Carolyn McKee. “They have to be connected to the larger community,” Ms. McKee said. “They have to center around the understanding of an authentic question or problem.” She added that giving students voice and agency is what makes the program so special. Encouraging students to connect ideas across multiple subjects, the IMPACT program creates a learning experience that goes beyond the boundaries of a typical class or elective.
Rather than focusing on memorizing facts for a test, IMPACT classes emphasize critical thinking and real-world skills. “While they are not designed like Advanced Placement classes, they still require a significant amount of thinking, doing, reading,” Ms. McKee noted. Some courses are more hands-on, while others are more research-based, so they offer a wide range of rigor.
The key differences that make an IMPACT class so special are a major reason the program has grown so much over the last few years. As more classes are introduced, student interest has increased too. “Every time new ones come out, it seems like they fly,” Ms. McKee said.
One of the most appealing parts of the program to students is the choice they have in what they study. With more classes becoming available, there are more topics that students are curious about. “I think it is good to have a variety of IMPACT classes so everyone can take one that interests them,” sophomore Ella Kemp said. She plans to take next year’s Plagues, Progress, and Public Health class, mentioning her interest in how diseases have shaped history.
In the Cultivating Change in Pollinator Gardens IMPACT class, students learn how gardening works, about native pollinators, and why invasive species are harmful. “We are also learning about how to make an actual garden, which we are going to do,” Claire said. This class is allowing students to apply what they have learned in a meaningful way. Claire noted that earlier in the semester, there was a large focus on native vs. non-native plants, and the topic shifted to climate change. By learning about environmental awareness and gardening skills, the students will be able to see the direct results of their work in the coming years as their community garden grows.
As the IMPACT program continues to expand, its success is thanks to the students and teachers who care about community engagement, innovation, and curiosity. By combining classroom learning with real-world opportunities and experiences, the learning experience at KO is changing. The program has quickly become a way for students to explore new interests and try a unique learning experience that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. What began as a small addition to the curriculum is rapidly becoming a defining part of the KO academic experience. Whether you are interested in leadership, culture, or financial literacy, there is an IMPACT class for you.
