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Our Mission

Drawing on a rich tradition of Quaker values and practices, Princeton Friends School is committed to creating a diverse, vibrant learning community in which young people engage their natural curiosity; discover and express their individual voices and gifts; acquire intellectual, physical, artistic, and life skills; and develop a sense of responsibility for themselves and others. Princeton Friends both prepares students for the world that is and models possibilities for the society that these young people will one day help to create.

Our Core Values

 

There are three principles we are committed to living every day at Princeton Friends School:

Respect for All
We honor the unique gifts of every individual as we celebrate the diversity of human experience.

Lifelong Learning
Intellectual growth and discovery are the work of a lifetime.

Responsibility in the World
We are committed to living in harmony with the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship.

Our History

Our roots go back to 1781 when a small school was opened on the 10-acre grounds of the Princeton Monthly Meeting. Contrary to the times, the little Quaker school was open to all, regardless of financial means or family status. A larger one-room schoolhouse, adjacent to the Meetinghouse, was built in 1800 and served the community for decades. After it fell into disrepair, the old schoolhouse was dismantled around 1900, during a period in which dozens of Friends schools were cropping up throughout the Delaware Valley.

Princeton Friends School was founded in 1987 by a small group of seasoned educators with the aim of bringing Friends education with a progressive bent to the greater Princeton area. At the heart of our school is the Quaker notion of a transcendent spirit – “that of God” – in each person, paired with an understanding that learning is best carried out in a community in which all members are supporting and celebrating one another's growth and progress. Intertwined and completely consistent with these Quaker underpinnings are the tenets of progressive education to which the founders adhered - an experiential, constructivist, collaborative, and socially-engaged pedagogy that encourages each student to reach full potential intellectually, socially, and ethically.

What is Progressive Education?

Princeton Friends School is a progressive Quaker school. In fact, the ideals of progressive education fit beautifully with the Quaker values at the center of Friends education: community, equality, and the honoring of every student as an individual.

“Progressive Education” is a term used to describe education that aims to meet every student as an individual, and from there engage both intellectual and social intelligence. Progressive educators began making themselves known in the early 1800s, but found their most eloquent voice nearly a century later, when social reformer John Dewey opened his Laboratory School at the University of Chicago in 1896.

From there, Dewey and a small group of like-minded colleagues began testing the idea that education ought to be about raising critical, questioning thinkers. Along with testing the theory, the Laboratory School also tested the limits of a society entrenched in civic inequities and a system of education built upon racial and economic segregation.

Throughout the 20th century progressive educators rocked the boat, often as the first voices to speak out for the importance of diversity, multiculturalism, multiple intelligences, cooperative and collaborative learning, and what has since become known as a “child-centered” approach to teaching. Drawing from the work of Dewey and later many who taught his work at Columbia University’s Teachers College, progressive education gained ground rapidly by opposing a status quo that was separate, unequal, and increasingly anachronistic. By mid-century, many public schools had adopted elements of the progressive curriculum. What followed was a flourishing of independent (and eventually charter) schools built upon progressive ideals: The Bank Street College of Education Elementary School and The Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City; The Peninsula School in Menlo Park, California; The Putney School in Vermont; the Park School of Baltimore, and many more.

Progressive education is an educational philosophy that prioritizes the holistic development of each student, focusing on their academic, social, and emotional growth. Unlike traditional education, which often emphasizes standardized testing and memorization, progressive education is student-centered, encouraging hands-on, experiential learning and critical thinking.

This approach to education is about cultivating curiosity, empathy, and lifelong learning. As modern advocates like Alfie Kohn emphasize, progressive education promotes collaboration, self-directed learning, and a sense of social responsibility, helping students to become engaged, active members of their communities.

At Princeton Friends School, progressive education is woven into everything we do. Our student-centered approach values curiosity, exploration, and hands-on learning, creating an environment where students actively engage in their own educational journey. You’ll see progressive education in our mixed-age classrooms, where students learn to collaborate, think critically, and support each other.

We emphasize experiential learning, whether it’s through place-based outdoor education, community service projects, or inquiry-based classes that encourage students to ask questions and explore real-world issues. Guided by Quaker values, we prioritize social responsibility, empathy, and inclusion, fostering a compassionate community where students are empowered to become thoughtful, engaged citizens.

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