January Term

Each January, the Walnut Hill community steps outside the box to explore new topics, pilot innovative new classes and grow during our January Term, or J-Term. 

During this unique three-week experience, our entire student and faculty communities engage in classes and activities that encourage all to:

• Explore unfamiliar and intriguing subjects, concepts or art forms;
• Experiment within a space where it is safe to fail and make mistakes;
• Innovate by creatively considering and applying alternative thinking or approaches to familiar practices; and
• Nurture our community through personal self-care, collaborative creation, and community service

With student agency placed at the forefront of January Term programming, students are given the opportunity to build and contribute to their educational program and community by:

• Proposing courses that they lead as Student Teachers,
• Supporting faculty in course development and delivery as Teaching Assistants, or by
• Joining the January Term Student Planning Committee.

Likewise, faculty and staff are invited to propose and pilot courses in any subject, including those outside of their main area of instruction or work, giving them the space and support in which to explore their wide range of interests alongside our students.

With course offerings as diverse as the Walnut Hill community, January Term students have studied everything from cooking to escape room design, songwriting to yoga and mindfulness, ethics to theatrical improv, and car maintenance to tarot card reading. Student-led projects have raised thousands of dollars in donations for communities in need, while some student-proposed courses have been handed down from student to student, ensuring the continuation of high-impact and popular initiatives. 

2026 January Term Course Catalog