City as a Classroom
Friends Select School is an all-gendered, pre-K-12 Quaker school in the heart of Center City Philadelphia. |
Our location facilitates our use of the city as a dynamic living classroom with unparalleled access to universities, science institutes, arts and cultural organizations, social service agencies, grassroots organizers, businesses, and government. |
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DYNAMIC LEARNING THAT KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES
Some of our city curriculum partnerships are long-lasting, such as our ninth-grade research project at the Philadelphia Museum of Art or our middle school service learning partnership with Urban Creators. Other city curriculum experiences are rare, singular opportunities that our teachers and students have the support and agility to seize. More than just making learning fun, our city curriculum establishes that learning happens in a multiplicity of sites, which supports our mission to prepare students for the whole of life. At Friends Select, we are lucky to exist at the convergence of a vibrant city with resources and experts on a range of topics, inspiring faculty who are always exploring new ways to add nuance to their courses through city experiences, and students who bring their curiosity, passions, and concerns for our world to their learning.
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““Our location and agility allow us to take advantage of unique opportunities that arise in the city, often on short notice. Our faculty are keen at turning those opportunities into rich learning experiences for students.”Margaret Smith Director of City Curriculum |
In the City and of the City
For generations, Friends Select and Philadelphia have had a symbiotic relationship, with the city acting as classroom, playground, and laboratory. On any given day, it is common to see Friends Select students and educators going out into the community to experience firsthand what they discuss in their classrooms or to see Philadelphians bringing their talents and expertise into our classrooms, club meetings, and assemblies.
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Sophia Le ’25 Senior Year Student "In my English class, we were reading a book by Tommy Orange called There There, about Native American identity. When I got out to the Powwow [at Penn Treaty Park], I saw a loving community that I was already learning about in school. It is great to see Friends Select branch out and support the Native American community in Philly by extending opportunities beyond just our students and constituents." |
Where Next?
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ARTS & CULTURE
African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP)
Whether studying American history in fourth or eleventh grade, the African American Museum in Philadelphia provides students an opportunity to engage with historical studies and artistic narratives. The AAMP has also served as a destination for faculty professional development. Faculty and students alike are looking forward to AAMP’s move to our Parkway neighborhood. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
American Chinese Museum
Friends Select’s second grade is looking forward to visiting this recently opened museum in Northeast Philadelphia as part of their immigration studies to learn about the path to citizenship for Chinese Americans from the 19th-century through today. Upper school Mandarin students are looking forward to visiting to practice their translations. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Asian Arts Initiative (AAI)
Asian Arts Initiative has been a valuable resource for teachers looking to incorporate Asian American culture, art, and history into their lessons, whether for history class, language arts, Chinatown studies, Mandarin study, or Social Justice Week. Students have toured the onsite rotating exhibits, learned about AAI’s role in community services, and received neighborhood tours from AAI artists. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Chinatown
Students in all three divisions visit Chinatown to learn about the neighborhood’s history and experience East Asian cultures firsthand. Second grade studies Chinatown as part of their neighborhood study, and fifth grade returns when reading Year of the Dog. In upper school, students visit Chinatown as part of history classes, Social Justice Week tracks, to practice their Mandarin in a real-world setting, and to enjoy lunch during building leave. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Comcast Campus
Middle and upper school art, math, percussion, and science classes study architecture, public sculpture, engineering, and environmental aspects of both the original Comcast Center and the new Comcast Tower. Students across all divisions take in the annual holiday show with their class or advising group. The Comcast food court is a popular destination for upper school students on building leave, and many seniors find internships with the businesses that call the Comcast Campus home. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Eastern State Penitentiary
Upper and middle school students visit Eastern State Penitentiary, a National Historic Landmark, to learn about the site’s architecture, history, and Quaker connections. Throughout the year and during Social Justice Week, students engage with exhibits and speakers to learn about the historical and contemporary role of prisons in society. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Ninth Street Market
Students in all three divisions visit and learn along the dynamic and historic 9th Street market corridor. Second grade students have studied the market and interviewed shop owners as part of their neighborhood studies. Middle school students heard from PhilaOTIS representatives about traffic calming features throughout the market. In upper school, Spanish students have visited James Beard-winner Christina Martinez’s restaurants to learn about her food and work for undocumented workers’ rights, and Social Justice Week groups have studied immigration patterns reflected in the market. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Old City & Independence Mall
When studying U.S. history, Old City becomes the school’s classroom. Students visit the Liberty Bell, stand in the room where the Declaration of Independence was debated, and look down at the remnants of George Washington’s house. Students walk Elfreth’s Alley, visit the restored 19th-century firehouse that houses the Fireman’s Hall Museum, study Greek revivalist architecture at the Second Bank of the U.S., learn lesser-known stories of the American Revolution such as the stories of Black founders at the Museum of the American Revolution, and debate contemporary civics questions at the Constitution Center. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA)
The birthplace of American art is a six-minute walk from Friends Select. Both middle and upper school have a multi-year partnership with PAFA, which allows faculty to take students for an unlimited number of visits. Faculty use the exhibited works of art for everything from writing prompts to science studies. Engineering students have studied PAFA’s Historic Landmark Building designed by Frank Furness as an example of STEAM architecture, advanced drawing students visit PAFA’s Cast Hall to sketch the same statue casts that graduate students use. In addition to classwork, our proximity allows students to take art classes in PAFA’s studios and curate exhibits for the museum through their Teen Advisory Council. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Philadelphia Free Library - Parkway Central Branch
Our 2020 Sights on Site Partner, the Central Branch is a treasured resource. First grade students learn hands-on kitchen lessons in the Culinary Literacy kitchen, art students learn about architect Julian Abele and see archival copies of 19th-century graphic novels, while history students use primary sources from the Map, Government Publications, and Newspaper collections. Students have participated in the Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate competition and met internationally acclaimed authors like Ta-Nehisi Coates through their teen speaker series. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA)
One of Friends Select’s longest-standing partnerships is with the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For over 20 years, ninth grade history students have used the PMA as a primary source archive. Over the course of the year, all ninth graders visit the museum at least five times to learn how to read visual art and material culture as primary sources that can help them explore political, social, and economic history. Each student selects a piece of art for which they study the style, history, medium, country of origin, and artist of that work. Each student then prepares and presents a 5-10 minute docent talk on their chosen work at the PMA in front of a public group of families, faculty, peers, and visitors to that gallery of the museum. In other divisions, language, history, and English classes study the museum's collections, and each year, faculty take advantage of the museum's professional development offerings. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
In 2008, Isaiah Zagar was the featured artist in our lower school’s year-long artist study. Every year since then, students visit his Magic Gardens museum or studio to learn about his distinctive mosaic process, the history of his work in Philadelphia, or about one of the many contemporary artists on view at Magic Gardens each year. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Reading Terminal Market
Partner for our 2023 Sights on Site exhibit, the Reading Terminal Market is a favorite destination for students studying the farm-to-market cycle, repurposed architecture, ethnic histories of Philadelphia, and local small business economies. It is also a popular destination for classes and advisory groups looking to lunch together off campus. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Taller Puertorriqueño
A favorite destination for Spanish classes, at Taller Puertorriqueño students can explore the permanent print and graphic design collection or take tours in Spanish or English of the rotating contemporary exhibitions. Middle school students have enjoyed the hands-on art instruction and creation of Mexican masks and screen-printed designs. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
WHYY
Students hear from reporters and producers on different topics throughout the year in different classes, assemblies, and Social Justice Week. Seventh grade students visit their studio to see the production process in action and ask journalists questions as part of their media literacy study. |
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ARTS & CULTURE
Woodmere Museum
In addition to offering students a rich sculpture garden and artwork of the Delaware and Schuylkill Valleys, Friends Select students exhibit their original artwork in Woodmere’s annual Kids Care exhibit held every winter. |
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SCIENCE & MEDICINE
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Students in second and third grade study paleontology and freshwater ecosystems at this world-class institute of science twice a week for a third of the school year. In addition, lower, middle, and upper school classes use the Academy regularly to explore exhibitions, take behind-the-scenes tours, and bring speakers to Friends Select. |
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SCIENCE & MEDICINE
Bok Building
This historic repurposed building in South Philadelphia, originally built as a technical high school in 1936 through the Public Works Administration, is now home to a variety of organizations that Friends Select students learn from. Middle school students visit FabScrap 10 times throughout the school year to learn about the environmental costs of textile waste, ways textiles can be recycled into new textiles or construction materials, and then work to sort donated textiles into reusable categories. Upper school students have visited the Wyss Wellness Center to hear about their research and best practices in providing healthcare to immigrant communities. |
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SCIENCE & MEDICINE
Franklin Institute
While the planetarium is a staple destination for students studying astronomy, students of all ages visit the rotating and permanent exhibits for hands-on explorations of life and physical science topics. |
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SCIENCE & MEDICINE
Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians
The unique exhibits at the Mütter Museum have given science, history, and Social Justice Week students opportunities to study anatomy, disease, and forensics. Anatomy students visit the museum throughout their semester to examine archival materials not on display. In recent years, the museum has engaged in evolving conversations about the ethics of preserving human remains, and upper school students have followed the debate in real time by participating in the museum’s public town halls. |
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SCIENCE & MEDICINE
Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
When lower, middle, and upper school students explore ancient and early modern cultures through contemporary questions, they visit the Penn Museum’s collection of artifacts and exhibits, learn from experts during guided tours, experience hands-on demonstrations, or pursue independent work guided by their teacher’s assignments. |
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SCIENCE & MEDICINE
Science History Institute
Students visit rotating exhibits to study how chemistry has evolved from alchemy to the modern day, stories of major scientific discoveries, and the intersections of science and civics for classes and Social Justice Week. |
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SCIENCE & MEDICINE
Thomas Jefferson University
Upper school anatomy and physiology students get to be medical students at Jefferson’s cadaver laboratory, STEAM engineering students spend a day at the School of Industrial Design, while classes in multiple divisions have brought in professors to discuss their research in science, medicine, and psychology. |
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SCIENCE & MEDICINE
University of Pennsylvania
Classes in all three divisions host speakers from disciplines across the University of Pennsylvania to speak in classes and assemblies. Under a partnership between Friends Select, the University of Pennsylvania, and two renowned independent high schools in Ireland, Friends Select offers a unique International Summer Program in Biomedical Research providing students with a three-week, hands-on laboratory experience at Penn’s Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT). |
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SOCIAL IMPACT & JUSTICE
Arch Street Meeting House
Friends Select is under the care of two Quaker meetings—the Monthly Meeting of the Friends of Philadelphia (Arch Street Meeting House) and the Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (Race Street Meetinghouse). The Arch Street Meeting House is a National Historical Landmark and the oldest Quaker Meeting House in the U.S. In 2024, the Arch Street Meeting House was the art department’s Sights on Site partner, and students from all three divisions exhibited their artwork for the public throughout the space. |
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SOCIAL IMPACT & JUSTICE
City Hall
Students visit City Hall for a variety of reasons throughout their time at Friends Select. Pre-K students have visited the mayor for story time, middle school students have delivered constituent letters to the city council, and upper school students have partnered with the city commissioner’s office for years to increase voter registration. Students also take advantage of the abundance of public art on view in and around City Hall plaza, and two upper school students recently served on the mayor’s advisory committee for the creation of a Harriet Tubman statue. |
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SOCIAL IMPACT & JUSTICE
Cradles to Crayons (CtC)
Students of different ages support Cradles to Crayons’ mission by cleaning and sorting gently used clothing left unclaimed in Friends Select lost and found bins. Upper school students take the donated clothing to Cradles to Crayons headquarters, where they work on a number of other projects to ensure resources get to children working with CtC social service partners. |
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SOCIAL IMPACT & JUSTICE
Friends Center & Race Street Meetinghouse
Each week, students gather at the historic Race Street Meetinghouse (home of the Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting) for Meeting for Worship. For classes, students tour the adjacent LEEDS-certified Friends Center to learn about their geothermal heating and cooling, smart technology systems, electricity-generating solar panels, stormwater capture and reuse circuit, and green vegetated roof. |
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SOCIAL IMPACT & JUSTICE
Historic Fair Hill Burial Ground
Middle school students visit Historic Fairhill 10 times throughout the year to learn about the Quakers buried in this national historic site and the collaborative efforts of neighborhood groups and Quaker leadership to turn Fairhill into a welcoming greenspace and social service hub for the community. As they learn, students participate in the efforts to keep the park clean, mulching trees and shrubs, removing invasive species, and performing any other upkeep that is needed. |
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SOCIAL IMPACT & JUSTICE
Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza
Students in different history classes and the tenth grade Peace and Social Justice class visit the Holocaust Memorial Plaza to learn about the Jewish Holocaust under Nazi Germany and its connection to acts of oppression and suppression today. In addition to visiting the permanent memorial, students have participated in traveling temporary exhibitions as well as events held there. |
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SOCIAL IMPACT & JUSTICE
Mural Arts
Philadelphia is known as a city of murals, and every year, Friends Select incorporates our city’s public art into our teaching and learning. Lower school students visit the Keith Haring mural, We the Youth, on 22nd Street. Fifth grade students journal about the meanings they see in Declaration on Race Street. Spanish language students have toured the Puerto Rican/Latina murals of Fairhill. In addition to their murals, Mural Arts supports a number of social justice initiatives through their Porch Light Program, and upper school students have heard from members of Trash Academy in addition to volunteering to lead art workshops at Color Me Back. |
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SOCIAL IMPACT & JUSTICE
SEAMAAC (Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition)
Middle and upper school students have learned about Philadelphia’s Southeast Asian communities, their voting efforts, language instruction programs, garden initiatives, and hip-hop heritage from SEAMAAC speakers. Upper school students studying food insecurity in our region have worked at the SEMAAC food pantry to learn firsthand about municipal funding for food pantry programs and the logistics of distribution events. |
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SOCIAL IMPACT & JUSTICE
Urban Creators
Middle school students visit Urban Creators 10 times throughout the school year to learn about the role urban farms play in combatting food deserts, the four-season cycle of organic farming, and sustainable farming features such as passive heat collection and stormwater reuse. In addition to learning, students conclude each visit by getting their hands (well, their gloves) dirty and helping with whatever farm chores are needed that season. |
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PARKS & RECREATION
Bartram’s Garden
At Bartram’s Garden, lower, middle, and upper school students pursue environmental studies and explore the natural world. They study botany, wildlife, and water quality while recording field observations. Students also visit Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden to learn about the role community gardens play in ending food deserts. |
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PARKS & RECREATION
Cobbs Creek
Upper school students visit Cobbs Creek four times a year to assist in cleaning efforts. Clad in waders, students spend the morning pulling everything from single-use plastic to tires and shopping carts from this important freshwater ecosystem that drains into the Delaware River. |
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PARKS & RECREATION
Fairmount Park
All of our students experience the benefits of green space in Fairmount Park. Through community service, middle and upper school students contribute to trail restoration, clean up fields, and clear non-native plants. Friends Select baseball, softball, and soccer teams play on Fairmount Park’s athletic fields, the cross country team runs through Belmont Plateau, and the crew team calls the Vesper Boat House home when rowing along the Schuylkill River. |
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PARKS & RECREATION
Fairmount Water Works
Science students learn about our region’s water sources, treatment, distribution, wastewater, and stormwater at the Water Works Interpretive Center. History students have explored art and history exhibits at the Water Works, including the nationally recognized Pool exhibit. Upper school students have participated in the Schuylkill Impact fellowship program, and several seniors have gone on to intern at the Water Works. |
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PARKS & RECREATION
Logan Square
Logan Square is one of the most recognizable components of the Kindergarten Parkway study. Students in all divisions examine Swann Memorial Fountain as part of a study in historical remembrance, a botanical catalog, and a beautiful en plein air site to sketch and paint. |
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PARKS & RECREATION
The Rail Park
Students in all three divisions have walked along the Rail Park to enjoy the urban green space and learn a multitude of classroom topics, from repurposing industrial infrastructure, to native versus non-native plantings, to soil contamination zoning restrictions and civic fundraising challenges. As our 2022 Sights on Site partner, students in all three divisions created art for wayfinding decals that were designed by a digital art student to point visitors to the Rail Park entrances in English, Spanish, and simple Mandarin. The wayfinding decals were installed throughout the neighborhood in 2022-23. |
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PARKS & RECREATION
Sister Cities Park
Visiting Sister Cities Park is a favorite activity for lower school faculty and students. It is the initial destination pre-K classes use to practice walking safety and conduct interviews with the Center City District staff who manage the park. Representatives from the design firm responsible for the play space have visited FSS to answer student questions about the rocks, fountain, and jumping net. Language classes have used walks in the park to practice seasonal vocabulary. And of course, the park provides essential creative playtime. |
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PARKS & RECREATION
Spirit of Philadelphia
Many classes over the years have chosen the Spirit of Philadelphia as their prom destination. While dancing the night away, students also have the opportunity to see, hear about, and take pictures against a backdrop of Delaware River sites such as the SS New Jersey, Penn’s Landing’s tall ships, fully operational Pier Five Marina, and Philadelphia’s graffiti pier. |