diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 69db821..f6d58e0 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
 } from '@jupyterlab/application';
 import { ICommandPalette, MainAreaWidget } from '@jupyterlab/apputils';
 import { FileBrowserModel, IDefaultFileBrowser } from '@jupyterlab/filebrowser';
-import { ILauncher, LauncherModel } from '@jupyterlab/launcher';
+import { ILauncher } from '@jupyterlab/launcher';
 import { ISettingRegistry } from '@jupyterlab/settingregistry';
 import { ITranslator } from '@jupyterlab/translation';
 import { addIcon, launcherIcon } from '@jupyterlab/ui-components';
@@ -15,7 +15,13 @@ import { find } from '@lumino/algorithm';
 import { ReadonlyPartialJSONObject } from '@lumino/coreutils';
 import { DockPanel, TabBar, Widget } from '@lumino/widgets';
 import { NewLauncher as Launcher } from './launcher';
-import { CommandIDs, ILauncherDatabase, MAIN_PLUGIN_ID } from './types';
+import { NewModel as Model } from './model';
+import {
+  CommandIDs,
+  ILauncherDatabase,
+  INewLauncher,
+  MAIN_PLUGIN_ID
+} from './types';
 import { addCommands } from './commands';
 import { sessionDialogsPlugin } from './dialogs';
 import { databasePlugin } from './database';
@@ -54,10 +60,10 @@ function activate(
   labShell: ILabShell | null,
   palette: ICommandPalette | null,
   defaultBrowser: IDefaultFileBrowser | null
-): ILauncher {
+): INewLauncher {
   const { commands, shell } = app;
   const trans = translator.load('jupyterlab-new-launcher');
-  const model = new LauncherModel();
+  const model = new Model();
 
   if (
     navigator.userAgent.indexOf('AppleWebKit') !== -1 &&
diff --git a/src/launcher.tsx b/src/launcher.tsx
index f334c8c..d51e851 100644
--- a/src/launcher.tsx
+++ b/src/launcher.tsx
@@ -11,12 +11,14 @@ import {
   consoleIcon
 } from '@jupyterlab/ui-components';
 import * as React from 'react';
+import { NewModel } from './model';
 import {
   IItem,
   IKernelItem,
   ILastUsedDatabase,
   IFavoritesDatabase,
-  ISettingsLayout
+  ISettingsLayout,
+  ISectionOptions
 } from './types';
 import { fileIcon, starIcon } from './icons';
 import { Item } from './item';
@@ -35,6 +37,7 @@ function LauncherBody(props: {
   settings: ISettingRegistry.ISettings;
   favouritesChanged: ISignal<IFavoritesDatabase, void>;
   lastUsedChanged: ISignal<ILastUsedDatabase, void>;
+  sections: ISectionOptions[];
 }): React.ReactElement {
   const { trans, cwd, typeItems, otherItems, favouritesChanged } = props;
   const [query, updateQuery] = React.useState<string>('');
@@ -104,79 +107,29 @@ function LauncherBody(props: {
   const startCollapsed = props.settings.composite
     .collapsedSections as ISettingsLayout['collapsedSections'];
 
-  return (
-    <div className="jp-LauncherBody">
-      <div className="jp-NewLauncher-TopBar">
-        <div className="jp-Launcher-cwd">
-          <h3>
-            {trans.__('Current folder:')} <code>{cwd ? cwd : '/'}</code>
-          </h3>
-        </div>
-        <div className="jp-NewLauncher-OtherItems">
-          {otherItems.map(item => (
-            <TypeCard item={item} trans={trans} />
-          ))}
-        </div>
-      </div>
-      {searchAll ? (
-        <div className="jp-Launcher-searchBox">
-          <FilterBox
-            placeholder={trans.__('Filter')}
-            updateFilter={(_, query) => {
-              updateQuery(query ?? '');
-            }}
-            initialQuery={''}
-            useFuzzyFilter={false}
-          />
-        </div>
-      ) : null}
-      <CollapsibleSection
-        className="jp-Launcher-openByType"
-        title={trans.__('Create Empty')}
-        icon={fileIcon}
-        open={startCollapsed['create-empty'] !== 'collapsed'}
-      >
-        {typeItems
+  const builtinSections: ISectionOptions[] = [
+    {
+      className: 'jp-Launcher-openByType',
+      title: trans.__('Create Empty'),
+      icon: fileIcon,
+      id: 'create-empty',
+      rank: 1,
+      render: () =>
+        typeItems
           .filter(
             item =>
               !query ||
               item.label.toLowerCase().indexOf(query.toLowerCase()) !== -1
           )
-          .map(item => (
-            <TypeCard item={item} trans={trans} />
-          ))}
-      </CollapsibleSection>
-      {showStarred ? (
-        <CollapsibleSection
-          className="jp-Launcher-openByKernel"
-          title={trans.__('Starred')}
-          icon={starIcon}
-          open={startCollapsed['starred'] !== 'collapsed'}
-        >
-          {starred.length > 0 ? (
-            <KernelTable
-              items={starred}
-              commands={props.commands}
-              showSearchBox={!searchAll}
-              showWidgetType={true}
-              query={query}
-              settings={props.settings}
-              trans={trans}
-              onClick={item => item.execute()}
-              favouritesChanged={props.favouritesChanged}
-              lastUsedChanged={props.lastUsedChanged}
-            />
-          ) : (
-            'No starred items'
-          )}
-        </CollapsibleSection>
-      ) : null}
-      <CollapsibleSection
-        className="jp-Launcher-openByKernel jp-Launcher-launchNotebook"
-        title={trans.__('Launch New Notebook')}
-        icon={notebookIcon}
-        open={startCollapsed['launch-notebook'] !== 'collapsed'}
-      >
+          .map(item => <TypeCard item={item} trans={trans} />)
+    },
+    {
+      className: 'jp-Launcher-openByKernel jp-Launcher-launchNotebook',
+      title: trans.__('Launch New Notebook'),
+      icon: notebookIcon,
+      id: 'launch-notebook',
+      rank: 3,
+      render: () => (
         <KernelTable
           items={props.notebookItems}
           commands={props.commands}
@@ -188,13 +141,15 @@ function LauncherBody(props: {
           favouritesChanged={props.favouritesChanged}
           lastUsedChanged={props.lastUsedChanged}
         />
-      </CollapsibleSection>
-      <CollapsibleSection
-        className="jp-Launcher-openByKernel jp-Launcher-launchConsole"
-        title={trans.__('Launch New Console')}
-        icon={consoleIcon}
-        open={startCollapsed['launch-console'] !== 'collapsed'}
-      >
+      )
+    },
+    {
+      className: 'jp-Launcher-openByKernel jp-Launcher-launchConsole',
+      title: trans.__('Launch New Console'),
+      icon: consoleIcon,
+      id: 'launch-console',
+      rank: 5,
+      render: () => (
         <KernelTable
           items={props.consoleItems}
           commands={props.commands}
@@ -206,7 +161,75 @@ function LauncherBody(props: {
           favouritesChanged={props.favouritesChanged}
           lastUsedChanged={props.lastUsedChanged}
         />
-      </CollapsibleSection>
+      )
+    }
+  ];
+  if (showStarred) {
+    builtinSections.push({
+      className: 'jp-Launcher-openByKernel',
+      title: trans.__('Starred'),
+      icon: starIcon,
+      id: 'starred',
+      rank: 2,
+      render: () =>
+        starred.length > 0 ? (
+          <KernelTable
+            items={starred}
+            commands={props.commands}
+            showSearchBox={!searchAll}
+            showWidgetType={true}
+            query={query}
+            settings={props.settings}
+            trans={trans}
+            onClick={item => item.execute()}
+            favouritesChanged={props.favouritesChanged}
+            lastUsedChanged={props.lastUsedChanged}
+          />
+        ) : (
+          'No starred items'
+        )
+    });
+  }
+  const allSections = [...builtinSections, ...props.sections];
+
+  return (
+    <div className="jp-LauncherBody">
+      <div className="jp-NewLauncher-TopBar">
+        <div className="jp-Launcher-cwd">
+          <h3>
+            {trans.__('Current folder:')} <code>{cwd ? cwd : '/'}</code>
+          </h3>
+        </div>
+        <div className="jp-NewLauncher-OtherItems">
+          {otherItems.map(item => (
+            <TypeCard item={item} trans={trans} />
+          ))}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+      {searchAll ? (
+        <div className="jp-Launcher-searchBox">
+          <FilterBox
+            placeholder={trans.__('Filter')}
+            updateFilter={(_, query) => {
+              updateQuery(query ?? '');
+            }}
+            initialQuery={''}
+            useFuzzyFilter={false}
+          />
+        </div>
+      ) : null}
+      {allSections
+        .sort((a, b) => a.rank - b.rank)
+        .map(section => (
+          <CollapsibleSection
+            className={section.className}
+            title={section.title}
+            icon={section.icon}
+            open={startCollapsed[section.id] !== 'collapsed'}
+          >
+            {section.render()}
+          </CollapsibleSection>
+        ))}
     </div>
   );
 }
@@ -216,6 +239,7 @@ export namespace NewLauncher {
     lastUsedDatabase: ILastUsedDatabase;
     favoritesDatabase: IFavoritesDatabase;
     settings: ISettingRegistry.ISettings;
+    model: NewModel;
   }
 }
 
@@ -229,9 +253,15 @@ export class NewLauncher extends Launcher {
     this._lastUsedDatabase = options.lastUsedDatabase;
     this._favoritesDatabase = options.favoritesDatabase;
     this._settings = options.settings;
+    this._newModel = options.model;
+    this._newModel.sectionAdded.connect(() => {
+      this.update();
+    });
   }
   private _lastUsedDatabase: ILastUsedDatabase;
   private _favoritesDatabase: IFavoritesDatabase;
+  private _newModel: NewModel;
+
   trans: TranslationBundle;
 
   renderCommand = (item: ILauncher.IItemOptions): IItem => {
@@ -334,6 +364,7 @@ export class NewLauncher extends Launcher {
         settings={this._settings}
         favouritesChanged={this._favoritesDatabase.changed}
         lastUsedChanged={this._lastUsedDatabase.changed}
+        sections={this._newModel.sections}
       />
     );
   }
diff --git a/src/model.ts b/src/model.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7dea174
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/model.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { INewLauncher, ISectionOptions } from './types';
+import { ISignal, Signal } from '@lumino/signaling';
+import { LauncherModel } from '@jupyterlab/launcher';
+
+export class NewModel extends LauncherModel implements INewLauncher {
+  sections: ISectionOptions[] = [];
+  addSection(options: ISectionOptions) {
+    this.sections.push(options);
+    this._sectionAdded.emit();
+  }
+  get sectionAdded(): ISignal<NewModel, void> {
+    return this._sectionAdded;
+  }
+  private _sectionAdded = new Signal<NewModel, void>(this);
+}
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index a8078c8..8591456 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -4,9 +4,23 @@ import type { ILauncher } from '@jupyterlab/launcher';
 import type { VirtualElement } from '@lumino/virtualdom';
 import type { ISignal } from '@lumino/signaling';
 import { Token } from '@lumino/coreutils';
+import type { LabIcon } from '@jupyterlab/ui-components';
 
 export const MAIN_PLUGIN_ID = 'jupyterlab-new-launcher:plugin';
 
+export interface INewLauncher extends ILauncher {
+  addSection(options: ISectionOptions): void;
+}
+
+export interface ISectionOptions {
+  id: string;
+  title: string;
+  className: string;
+  icon: LabIcon;
+  render: () => React.ReactNode;
+  rank: number;
+}
+
 /**
  * The command IDs used by the launcher plugin.
  */