Friends Education & Philosophy

Since 1876, MPFS has been recognized for challenging academics as well as a whole-child approach to intellectual and moral development. Students are encouraged to respect the talents and perspectives of others in a cooperative search for knowledge. Our faculty are facilitators of the learning process using dialogue, reflection, and inquiry as tools for learning in the classroom. Students learn that all of life is sacred and resonates with meaning. 

Rather than espousing a particular doctrine, teachers at MPFS use the Quaker Testimonies as a foundation for learning and aim to expose children to a worldview that will have a lasting impact on their lives, nurturing within them: knowledge that the material world is not all there is to life; passion for the truth and concern for social justice; and confidence that they can make a difference.

Friends link intellectual, social, and spiritual growth and at MPFS this translates to:

• the valuing of inquiry and pursuit of truth
• the cultivation of engaged and creative, critical thinkers -- View our Curriculum Guide
• a belief in the inherent worth of every individual -- Learn more about our Values & Mission
• peaceful conflict resolution, consensus-based decision-making, and our Peer Facilitator Project
• diversity in all its forms being embraced and celebrated
• alignment of actions with beliefs through Service Learning and care for the environment

As a Quaker school, Media-Providence Friends School is under the care of both Media Friends Meeting and Providence Monthly Meeting. Learn more about our history as a school, as well as the history of our Meeting below.

MPFS is dedicated to creating a community of life-long learners who grow in a nurturing environment filled with both academic vigor and rich opportunities for character development. We embrace diversity in all its forms, challenging students to develop respect for all communities while cultivating their social, creative, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and physical aspects.

We are deeply committed to nurturing the potential within each child. We support children who learn within a range of differences in style and strengths, working from mastery of basic skills to higher order thinking, encouraging individual responsibility and critical thinking throughout the learning process.

The philosophy is manifested in many ways:

• While our teaching styles incorporate both teacher-directed and hands-on learning, modeling and teaching through example are at the core of our pedagogy. Research-based, innovative, creative, and collaborative approaches to instruction and learning guide our work.
   
• Independent thinking, resilience, and self-reliance are intentionally fostered in a safe and caring environment where students exercise choice, build confidence, discover more about themselves through reflection, take risks in learning, sustain their curiosities, and explore and consider lessons.
   
• We appreciate our students' varied backgrounds and strongly believe that each student should feel included and respected. Teaching at MPFS reflects a respect for a variety of learning styles, and differentiation of lessons is common practice.  
   
• We strive to stimulate creative inquiry and critical judgment, while fostering an appreciation of the balance between individual achievements and the growth of others in the classroom. We cultivate respectful interaction within the classroom and broader community.
   
• In addition to preparing students for future success, it is our hope that they will leave MPFS with a commitment to improving the lives of others and the world at large. We prepare our students for high school and beyond by making sure our students understand how they learn best, and consistently providing opportunities to practice advocating for themselves. 
   
• The integration of our Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion mission, into our program and curriculum, creates a lens through which our students learn to care about people they may not know in their town, city, state, and around the planet, and to use their skills as writers, artists, scientists, historians, mathematicians, athletes to reinvent systems and share new ideas for a better future.