Transformation Campaign
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PARKWAY CAMPUS EXPANSION PROJECT
This project will add to Friends Select's campus approximately 32,000 square feet of space on the second and third floors of the building directly adjacent to us, Three Parkway, which will be used for classrooms, gathering spaces, workspaces, conference rooms, and much more. This space will be directly connected to our second floor via two new entryways between the Parkway and Three Parkway Buildings, turning our second floor into a single, enlarged loop. Meanwhile, the Parkway Campus Expansion Project will shift our use of space in the current Parkway Building, creating many additional classrooms and gathering spaces for middle school. The Parkway Campus Expansion Project is scheduled for completion by January 2026. This project is being overseen by Anchor Management Group, which has successfully transformed other parts of the Parkway Building and created the upper school STEAM Building. Anchor Management Group will also be working with us on the Back Lot Transformation, which is estimated to be completed for the 2027-28 school year. As with other phases of the Transformation Campaign, these projects will continue to prioritize environmental sustainability.
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The Parkway Campus Expansion Project will create: • 10 new upper school classrooms in Three Parkway, with sweeping views of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. • An additional STEAM room and a multipurpose room in Three Parkway. • A new workspace in Three Parkway for all faculty and staff. • New conference rooms, offices, and storage space in Three Parkway. • Elevator access in Three Parkway to the Parkway Building’s rooftop athletic field and event space, which will be for Friends Select’s use only. • Additional gender-neutral restroom access from the rooftop athletic field to the third floor of Three Parkway. • Many more available classrooms in the Parkway Building for middle school, by transforming current upper school classrooms on the second floor. • Additional spaces in the Parkway Building for lower school instructional specialists to work with students and teachers. • Additional music rooms and practice spaces in the Parkway Building for students of all divisions. • Lastly, the Parkway Campus Expansion Project addresses several goals of the Back Lot Transformation, including elevator access to the Parkway Building roof, gender-neutral restrooms, and providing 32,000 square feet of additional space to accommodate our growing student population. For more than 330 years, Friends Select has provided unparalleled educational opportunities for generations of students in keeping with the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equity and justice, and stewardship. The Advance Friends Select: Transformation Campaign is creating physical spaces that embody these Quaker values, providing the financial underpinning that ensures the school can continue building a diverse, inclusive, and nurturing community for generations to come. For more information about supporting the Parkway Campus Expansion Project and the Advance Friends Select: Transformation Campaign, please contact Christine Jefferson, Friends Select’s chief development officer, at chrisj@friends-select.org or 215-561-5900 x3141.
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BACK LOT TRANSFORMATIONFollowing the completion of the Parkway Campus Expansion Project, Friends Select is embarking on the creation of a state-of-the-art outdoor learning space that will revolutionize the school’s educational opportunities for all students and families, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community. In creating a dynamic open-air environment for lower, middle, and upper school, the Back Lot Transformation will fundamentally re-envision the Parkway Building’s back lot and playground, resulting in a multi-use, multi-level green space with endless possibilities for play, learning, socialization, collaboration, and enjoying nature. The Back Lot Transformation will also improve campus security and continue to prioritize environmental sustainability.
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For centuries, Friends Select has had a symbiotic relationship with Philadelphia, with the city acting as a classroom, playground, and laboratory for Friends Select students and educators. As a publicly visible component of the school’s campus, the Back Lot Transformation will bring the school’s continuing physical transformation to the surrounding sidewalks and streets while strengthening the connection between Friends Select and Philadelphia. By reimagining the 16th Street frontage, the school hopes to reintroduce itself to the city in a way that breaks down physical barriers and ensures that Friends Select is an institution that is in the city and of the city. This space will provide new opportunities for engaging children and families from across the Philadelphia area and beyond. For this project, a team of architects from Metcalfe Architecture & Design, Studio Ludo, and OLIN incorporated thoughtful input from Friends Select students, faculty, and staff to create a beautiful conceptual design that symbolizes an inclusive Quaker community. The updated plans for the Back Lot Transformation will remain true to the original conceptual drawings, including elevated areas and second-floor access that generated so much excitement among our students, faculty, and staff. The Back Lot Transformation is moving forward with strong interest and support, and is being planned for the 2027-28 school year, pending approval from Friends Select’s board of trustees. Like all projects of our Advance Friends Select: Transformation Campaign, the Back Lot Transformation is aligned with all five pillars of our strategic plan: financial sustainability and endowment growth, making donor dollars go further; excellence in teaching and learning; use of space; strategic partnerships and relationships; and environmental sustainability. Thanks to the generosity of our community, fundraising for the Back Lot Transformation has been incredibly successful—but continued support is integral to bringing this ambitious vision to fruition. A gift of any size will ensure Friends Select students, families, faculty, and staff will benefit from these enhanced facilities for years to come. For more information about the Back Lot Transformation, or to support the Advance Friends Select: Transformation Campaign, please contact Christine Jefferson, Friends Select’s chief development officer. Learn more about our project by downloading our Case for Support. |
Additional Projects
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As part of the Advance Friends Select: Transformation Campaign, Friends Select’s new upper school STEAM Building and recently transformed Parkway Building reflect our commitments to excellence in teaching and learning, our community, and the city of Philadelphia. Friends Select’s newly transformed STEAM Building and Parkway Building were:
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