Friends Select School
Friends Select School is a private Quaker day school in Center City Philadelphia, founded in 1689 as part of William Penn's original vision for education in his colony. The school serves approximately 550 students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade on a campus adjacent to Logan Square and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Friends Select's Center City location distinguishes it from suburban Quaker schools, providing urban education experience grounded in Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship.[1]
History
[edit | edit source]Friends Select traces its origins to the earliest Quaker schools in Pennsylvania, with the present institution taking form from mergers and developments over centuries. The school's founding in 1689, shortly after Philadelphia's establishment, reflects Quaker commitment to education as essential to their community. The institution has operated under various names and configurations while maintaining continuous connection to Philadelphia Quaker education.[1]
The school's move to its current Center City location in 1984 represented significant shift from earlier facilities, placing Friends Select in urban environment that shapes student experience. The Center City campus, developed from a former industrial building, provides facilities suited to contemporary education while the location connects students to city life in ways that suburban campuses cannot. This urban Quaker education model distinguishes Friends Select from other Philadelphia-area Friends schools.[1]
Academic Programs
[edit | edit source]Friends Select offers progressive education emphasizing inquiry, creativity, and social engagement alongside traditional academic preparation. The lower school, middle school, and upper school divisions provide developmentally appropriate programs that prepare students for selective colleges while cultivating capacities beyond academic achievement. Small class sizes and accessible faculty enable personalized attention that characterizes Quaker education.[1]
The school's progressive orientation emphasizes student voice, project-based learning, and connection between academic study and real-world application. Arts programs, experiential education, and community engagement extend learning beyond classrooms. The upper school curriculum includes Advanced Placement options alongside innovative courses that reflect faculty expertise and student interests.[1]
Quaker Education
[edit | edit source]Friends Select's Quaker identity shapes school culture through Meeting for Worship, consensus-based governance, and expectations rooted in Friends testimonies. Weekly Meeting gathers the community in traditional Quaker practice of silent waiting and spoken ministry. The school's approach to discipline emphasizes restoration and learning rather than punishment, consistent with Quaker principles of seeing that of God in every person.[1]
The school's commitment to diversity and social justice reflects Quaker testimonies in contemporary context. Financial aid enables enrollment of students from varied economic backgrounds; curriculum addresses issues of justice and equity; and service learning connects academic study to community engagement. This integration of values and education distinguishes Friends Select from schools that treat ethics as separate from academics.[1]
Campus
[edit | edit source]Friends Select's campus on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway occupies buildings adjacent to Logan Square. The main building, adapted from industrial use, provides classrooms, arts facilities, and gathering spaces in urban setting. Athletic facilities, limited by Center City constraints, require creative use of nearby parks and off-site venues for physical education and sports.[1]
The campus's urban location provides educational opportunities through proximity to museums, cultural institutions, and civic spaces. Students engage the city through field experiences, service projects, and daily interaction with urban environment. This urban immersion creates experiences that suburban schools cannot replicate while presenting challenges regarding facilities and outdoor space.[1]
See Also
[edit | edit source]- Religious Society of Friends
- Quaker Education
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- Logan Square
- William Penn Charter School