Trinity is known for offering one of the most diverse ranges of Advanced Placement courses, from AP World History to AP Latin to AP Environmental Science. Yet, students often feel that they miss out on real-world applications of their education. With the College Board’s recently announced courses, AP Cybersecurity and AP Business with Personal Finance, however, that could change.
College Board’s new offerings are designed to bring a more practical, career-oriented approach to high school education. The business course introduces students to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, accounting and management. The cybersecurity course dives into topics such as risk assessment, threat detection and security mitigation.
AP Cybersecurity is already under consideration as part of Trinity’s growing computer science program, with the course currently being reviewed on how it fits into the school’s overall curriculum plan.
“(AP Cybersecurity) is going to be a combination of policy overview, how to set up programs and what things you should be looking for, as well as an introduction to the technical aspect of it,” Chief Technology Officer Alex Podchaski said. “It’s going to be (looking at) the entire landscape versus just being a legal or application class.”
Podchaski hopes to create a path in which students begin with foundational courses that introduce physical computing and basic programming before choosing more specialized tracks such as advanced programming, cybersecurity or robotics. For instance, AP Cybersecurity is specifically designed to build directly on an introductory course, Cybersecurity Principles, that offers broad exposure and some hands-on experience.
“We don’t want people to go (into AP Cybersecurity) cold,” Podchaski said. “AP is really meant to be your second step. … Just like you don’t take AP Biology without taking biology … (the AP) is going to build on the foundation.”
Regardless of the courses, Podchaski believes that understanding the fundamentals of cybersecurity, data privacy and information protection is more important than ever for students today.
“Given the rate of digital adoption for your generation, you need to be aware of where your information is, who’s using it, and who you’ve given permission to use it,” Podchaski said. “Because of the developments with AI (and) identity theft, you need to … protect and represent yourself properly.”
Meanwhile, discussions around AP Business with Personal Finance are in earlier stages. According to Mathematics Department Chair Donald Worcester, the course has not yet been discussed within the department. Still, some students see a clear demand, believing the course could not only offer practical preparation by helping them better represent themselves in the real world, but also equip them with tools to manage financial decisions and everyday transactions.
“In this world, we rely on money,” junior and investment fund member Luke Kang said. “One day we’re all going to be managing ourselves, our income, (our) taxes and things like that. … We have to know how to use money, how to spend it, but most importantly, how to budget and make sure we have enough to provide for ourselves.”
Mathematics teacher Sage Butler, who is also directing the interim course “Cha-Ching 101: A Guide to Finances,” sees AP Business with Personal Finance as a shift toward real-world readiness. She also emphasized the long-term advantages of financial literacy, especially when introduced earlier to students, as this course aims to do.
“If (students) start now, they’re going to start years ahead of a lot of other people,” Butler said. “Kids don’t realize that you can end up with a million extra dollars if you start a retirement fund now.”
For students like Kang, this kind of forward-thinking education fills a noticeable gap in Trinity’s current offerings.
“For students who want to fully indulge themselves in finance, marketing, business and whatnot, I think there is (currently) a little bit of a gap in the curriculum,” Kang said. “There are definitely quite a few students (in Trinity) who want to take the business route, whether it be a marketing director or a business manager.”
Both AP Cybersecurity and AP Business with Personal Finance offer valuable skills that transcend academics, equipping students with the necessary experience to navigate a world where digital literacy and entrepreneurship are key. This shift could better support students who want to see more practical application in their education.
