Opening in fall 2023, Phoenix Friends School (PFS) is an independent school arising from the faith and practice of the Religious Society of Friends (also called Friends or Quakers).
“Phoenix is the first city in the Southwest to secure a prestigious, independent Friends school featuring a new model of values education and learning for grades five and six opening Fall 2023 in midtown Phoenix,” said founder Willard White, Ph.D. in a September announcement.
According to the school, Quaker education pairs academic rigor with values-based learning while developing capacities in service, meditative reflection and peaceful problem solving. Students at a Friends school engage with the arts, take part in service-learning projects, are encouraged toward a healthy and active lifestyle, and develop deep connections with each other and the wider world.
A unique feature of the Friends School is its belief that “the city is our classroom.” While most instruction and discussion will take place within the school, PFS is designed to operate in the greater community, partnering with both the Desert Botanical Garden and Arizona Humane Society for weekly off-site learning projects tied to in-school curriculum.
Andy Jones-Wilkins, who brings nearly 35 years of experience, including teaching at Phoenix Country Day School, will serve as founding head of school.
The school is now enrolling grades five and six for fall 2023 and will hold a series of open house events at University Club of Phoenix, 39 E. Monte Vista Rd. Guests will have the opportunity to meet White and Jones-Wilkins at the events, which are scheduled for Oct. 18, Oct. 23, Nov. 6, and Nov. 15. Times and additional information can be found on the school website.
The Phoenix Friends School will open in fall 2023 on the campus of Central United Methodist Church at 1875 N. Central Ave. To RSVP call 602-562-2662. For additional information, visit www.phoenixfriendsschool.org.
