Last year, junior Meeah Bradford pondered which classes — ranging from statistics in sports to marine biology — she would request to take for Jan Plan. Half of the Upper School, including Bradford, will now graduate before experiencing Jan Plan due to the pandemic.

“Jan Plan would’ve given us a great chance to dive into topics that we’re interested in,” Bradford said. “It’s really sad that it was one of the things we had to sacrifice because of COVID.”

Jan Plan is a three-week intensive at the start of the spring semester during which students and teachers explore diverse topics, such as forensic science, welding and Latin American short stories. These courses will provide opportunities for peer collaboration, partnerships with Houston communities and interactive learning.

“The faculty at St. John’s are wildly gifted, but some of their interests aren’t directly taught in the classes they usually teach,” said Sarah Jane Keegan, the coordinator of Jan Plan. “Jan Plan allows them to channel their passions and creativity into an opportunity to teach some really unique courses.”

In April 2020, Keegan and the administration decided to delay Jan Plan until 2022. Maintaining partnerships throughout Houston and hosting in-person activities during quarantine felt impossible, according to Keegan.

“When we couldn’t project how long the pandemic would last, we had to start thinking about the integrity of the program,” Keegan said. “A Zoom Jan Plan, for us, would have been no Jan Plan at all. The whole point is that everybody is learning together and exploring the [Houston] community.”

In January 2021, faculty decided to push Jan Plan back another year to 2023. Keegan feels disappointed but supports the decision behind the delay.

“We don’t want to do Jan Plan halfway,” Keegan said. “Because we don’t know where things will be next January, it’s a lot to ask [teachers] to do something that isn’t a guarantee, and a modified Jan Plan simply wouldn’t achieve our dreams.”

Keegan grieves the years of Jan Plan that her sophomore advisees will miss. Many juniors and seniors feel disappointed that they will not experience Jan Plan, according to Keegan.

“I’ve never done something like Jan Plan before,” Bradford said. “[The delay] is extremely disappointing, but given the current circumstances, it’s completely understandable.”

Keegan says that Head of School Mark Desjardins, incoming Head of School Dan Alig and Head of Upper School Hollis Amley are still excited about the program. Despite its two-year delay, Keegan stresses that teachers still feel passionate about Jan Plan.

“The delay had nothing to do with not believing in it, not wanting to do it or not being ready to do it,” Keegan said. “Jan Plan will absolutely still happen, and it’s absolutely a goal for St. John’s to pull it off as soon as possible.”