Friends Select School

At Friends Select, we believe education can be fascinating. We believe students learn more when they're intrigued by what they're learning. We turn lessons into quests for knowledge and guide students as they discover new worlds. We encourage individual exploration and active, hands-on learning. Instead of imparting facts, we ask questions.

Teaching and learning at Friends Select is tangible. We’re located in the cultural heart of Center City Philadelphia, right on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. At every age, students visit museums, attend cultural events, participate in community service, and use the finest educational resources Philadelphia has to offer. Through interaction with the real world, students become resourceful learners and active citizens of our school, city, and global community.

Our Pre-K through 12 academic program is an engaging and connected educational journey. It’s carefully constructed to guide students through every stage of learning in a warm and welcoming environment where failure is not feared or believed to be fixed. At the core is a firm foundation of Quaker values. During weekly Meeting for Worship, our students and teachers sit in silent search for Truth and if moved to speak, rise to share. Seniors graduate from Friends Select with the knowledge and understanding of peaceful resolution to conflict, empathy, service to others, mutual respect, inclusion, and stewardship.

We believe in the Quaker values of respect for all, simplicity, the peaceful resolution of conflict, and a constant search for truth. In the words of George Fox, we seek to teach our students to "walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone." We work to achieve balance between the needs of individuals and our community, in an atmosphere of cooperation and concern for the betterment of all. We value the rich diversity of our urban setting and the opportunities and challenges it provides for the education of our students.

The aim of education is preparation for the whole of life: the vigorous development of intellectual and physical capacities and those of the spirit. Our teaching is structured around these key beliefs--that both direct experience and the young person's developmental needs are central in the learning process, and that learning should be placed at the service of society. Under caring oversight, our students gain the knowledge, the skills, and the character that will enable them to live full lives.

Our school is wonderfully diverse. We appreciate divergent viewpoints and foster a safe and welcoming atmosphere. It comes from our Quaker commitment to exhibiting respect for all. We’re diverse in gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, belief system, family structure, and economic background. Teachers bring varying perspectives and our students come from across the globe. So we benefit not from discussions about diversity, but from immersion in it.

Our curriculum cultivates diversity in student interests. We’re not a school of artists, or athletes, or even science enthusiasts. Instead, artists are also biologists and experts on Chinese culture. Athletes are math champions and thoughtful contributors at Meeting for Worship. Science enthusiasts are team captains and stars in the school play. We encourage each student to explore unfamiliar subjects and discover new interests and abilities.

We’re committed to helping every student gain admission to the college or university that is best suited for them.We don’t define success by a certain set of rules. Whether a graduate goes on to become an Ivy League dean or an entrepreneur, a state senator or a hip-hop artist, we are equally proud.

Our educational philosophy comes from our Quaker roots. We believe truth cannot be dictated, it has to be discovered. The teaching method is simple. We ask questions. We spark curiosity. Then we empower students to explore. When a subject is interesting, learning is fun. A Lower School unit on peace might use rocks and paint to share beauty. A Middle School science course will visit the snakes in our science room and the dinosaur skeletons at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Upper School lessons on chemistry will lead to student-built ozone detectors and measurements from around the school building, including the roof. In every subject, teachers use a vast toolbox of resources to engage our students and bring studies to life.

The journey from Pre-K to 12th grade is a cohesive progression. Ideas and skills build, year upon year. First graders learn Spanish vocabulary, then in second grade they add grammatical constructions. Eighth graders study human culture through a broad lens, then ninth graders delve into art history at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We craft a curriculum specifically for each stage of development, so every grade brings new challenges. And new adventures. Our curriculum is also pliable. It’s designed to flex so we can guide every individual student to success.

Our educational program is active and playful, but it is also deep, complex, and challenging. Students gain skills in research, writing, listening, and oral and visual presentation. They gain knowledge. More importantly, they gain the ability to think critically. They learn to explore independently. So they never stop learning, even after they leave our halls.