Andrea Carty wasn’t raised in the Quaker faith, but she was introduced to Quakerism when she attended Greene Street Friends School and Friends Central, in Philadelphia. Inspired by the diverse student body, an ambiance of mutual respect and how both schools engaged the community, that experience would lead Carty to co-found Lancaster Friends School, a Kindergarten through eighth-grade Quaker school dedicated to promoting a diverse, peace-centered educational community. Lancaster Friends School opened at the beginning of the 2021 school year, in the Lancaster Friends Meeting House. The spacious grounds lend ample opportunities for students to engage in outdoor learning, grouped into developmentally appropriate mixed-age classes.

The concept of Lancaster Friends School goes back several years, according to Carty, who is head of the school and teaches upper elementary grades four through six. She and her fellow Quakers, along with local educators, felt a sense of urgency to move the school forward in 2020, due to the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and the social justice movements that ensued. “We felt the world needs a school that focuses on social justice while creating an environment for students to feel celebrated for who they are and offering an excellent education,” Carty relates.

Carty and other educators on staff are trained in Montessori teaching, and have woven the educational materials into the curriculum. “Those philosophies are very connected with ours,” Carty explains. “We’re not a Montessori school, but we use some of their math and reading materials because they’re so excellent.”

The school’s educational philosophies go beyond academics. With a focus on inclusion, equity and promoting a socially just society, the educators strive to meet each child’s individual needs. They don’t accept students solely on academic ability; if new students are reading below their grade level, teachers may provide an audiobook and generate conversation about the characters and a book’s content.

Students at Lancaster Friends School also participate in service learning. Each Friday, the school leads field trips or in-house service activities and hosts speakers to collect needed items to send to Ukraine or mends blankets for refugees. In one case, Lancaster Friends School partnered with an arts activist in Uganda to learn about each other’s cultures. “The kids love service work,” Carty says. “Our students baked cookies, sold them and donated the proceeds to an arts program in Uganda for needed supplies.”

The students spend a lot of time outdoors engaging in bicycling and learning bicycle safety. They take field trips to local parks and to Heritage Creek Farm Camp. Lancaster Friends School has 28 pupils enrolled for the upcoming 2023-24 school year. Carty notes they often get new students in upper grade levels, likely due to impacts of pre-teen social stress and bullying. “Some parents notice that their child is having trouble around that age. Relationships become an issue, bullying becomes prevalent and they realize their child is not happy. They seek a learning  environment where all kids are welcome and feel safe.”

The student body actually comprises different faiths. The Quaker Meetings for Worship focus not on specific religious teachings, but rather quiet stillness, so students can practice mindfulness and center themselves.

The students take field trips to Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg to lobby elected representatives about issues that matter to them. “Our school trains students in advocacy and to work on those issues,” Carty says. “Students worked together and decided to advocate for transgender rights and gun control—those topics are their choices, not the teachers’ choices.”

“Our board and staff have a collaborative desire to create a better world,” says Carty. “It’s rewarding to see our students go to Congress and stand up for what they believe in. We’ve had students come in disengaged, but later get excited. Instead of pushing kids in a certain direction, we let them shine and invite them to be themselves.”