Philosophy

We believe that students learn best in an educational environment that nurtures the whole child, promotes learning through inquiry, cultivates a strong sense of community, emphasizes social justice and peace education, and fosters mindfulness and reflection.

Project-Based Learning

Our inquiry-driven Project-based Learning (PBL) curriculum pushes students to get their hands dirty and gain the confidence to explore the world around them.

Project-based Learning is a way to extend meaningful learning through student research and presentation, exploration and inquiry, engineering and design, and the sharing of ideas and joyful collaboration. Projects offer real-world content, tasks, tools, and impact. 

Students are taught how to collaborate with others and to communicate effectively by asking questions, thinking critically, and listening carefully. Our students leave Frankford Friends School well-equipped for high school and beyond — prepared to let their lives speak in the pursuit of lifelong learning, a commitment to social justice, and service to their communities.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are our blueprint for understanding and engaging with the issues that impact our communities today and in the future. As our students grapple with complex, real-world problems, they learn to be active changemakers in their own neighborhoods and the world beyond.

IDEA Lab


Innovation. Design. Engineering. Art.

The Project-based Learning Program takes place in the FFS IDEA Lab, a two story hub specially designed for exploration, innovation, and collaboration. There, students and teachers grapple with complex, real-world situations - learning to identify problems, find solutions, and take action - as they become changemakers in their neighborhoods and in the world beyond. Whether doing research in the Mezzanine, designing and manufacturing prototypes using fabrication instruments, machinery, or technological tools, or connecting with people and organizations who are working on the same issues that students are exploring in class, FFS students become life-long learners who not only make a personal commitment to improving themselves, but also their communities and the world.

Curriculum

Early Childhood

Lower School

Middle School

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