Friends Seminary’s 232 years of educational history is one of both constancy and change. Grounded in Quaker values and a rich educational legacy, our School’s mission aims to prepare students for the world that is and to help them bring about the world that ought to be. In this strategic plan, as with those that preceded it, our feet are rooted in the past, while our eyes are turned to the future.

As we set out to reimagine this place called school, we engaged in close consultation with School Committee members, administrators, faculty, staff, parents, students, alumni and members of our Quaker community via expansive surveys, small group discussions and focused working groups. The outcome of these collaborations, while reflecting a broad range of community priorities, has reaffirmed our commitment to the School’s mission and Quaker values, and led us to three strategic focuses: OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, OUR TEACHING PRACTICE and THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE.

Our plan also mindfully integrates core competencies that our community, as well as The National Association of Independent Schools, has identified as essential for students’ success in education, in the global economy, and in life. The core competencies—critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, character, and cross-cultural competency—align well with the long-held Quaker values at the heart of our school. These competencies will factor into the development and evaluation of all Friends programs to consistently prepare our students to be ethical contributors in an increasingly complex and interdependent world.

Responsible planning and strong leadership in past years have bolstered the School’s financial health and educational position, allowing us the freedom and license to think boldly about the future and assume a proactive stance that will place our School among the nation’s best.

Implementing this Strategic Plan—with its focus on further strengthening our educational program, our teaching practice and the student experience—will involve everyone in our community. And even as we work toward achieving these strategic priorities and subsequent goals, we know that the Plan itself will evolve. Our thinking and vision work will now be followed by ongoing conversations with community members, serving in various roles, whose expertise and input will help us craft key objectives, create timelines, and determine financial implications. The broad strokes this Plan outlines calls on strategic leaders within our School Committee, administration, faculty, student and parent body to help us execute and incorporate the School’s vision.

These are exciting times and, as with everything we do, all of the steps we take will be filtered through the lens of our School mission and Quaker values as well as our commitment to core competencies and a robust academic experience. We invite the community to join us in this vision quest. Your contributions have been—and will continue to be—valued and appreciated.