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An Independent, Coed, Friends School, Nursery Through Grade 12

Quaker Education

Moses Brown is one of the oldest and largest of a network of 80 Friends schools in the U.S. While each is independent, we all share the same essential mission: honoring what Quakers refer to as the Inner Light and helping each child experience that Light within while nurturing and celebrating their own gifts, talents, and identities.

Quakerism holds that there is an Inner Light in each of us. This belief yields a deep commitment to equality and community, and people of all faiths find resonance in the core human values at the center of Friends (Quaker) education and practice. 

Because our world needs ethical leadership, our mission as a Friends school is to provide the rising generation with an ethical core, an unshakable foundation of integrity that fosters respect, non-violent resolution of conflict, and the desire to make a positive difference in the world. Moses Brown uses these strengths to instill academic excellence and a bold sense of purpose in learning.

A Quaker education can benefit students of all faiths. Our Friends school community depends on diversity of perspective and experience — the wisdom gained through our collective search  enriches the individual, the community, and the world.Jen McFaddenDirector of Friends Education

Core Values in Action

SPICES is a common acronym for the values that are practiced at Quaker schools: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. The queries below are ways to reflect on how each of these values might be applied. 

Beliefs and Practices of Quaker Ed

Quakerism was founded in the 1600’s by English people seeking a religious community based on equality rather than hierarchy.

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Today, Quakerism—also known as the Religious Society of Friends—thrives in small, strong communities that believe in the dignity and worth of every person; this ‘Inner Light’ compels Quakers to value community, non-violence, integrity, and respect for all.

For over 300 years, these beliefs and practices have placed Quakers at the forefront of education with an unwavering commitment to giving and being one’s personal best. Students learn to respect themselves and others, and demonstrate that respect by doing good work and serving other people.

While most students at Quaker schools come from many different religious traditions, or none at all, the values of Quakerism encourage and guide them every day to do and be their best. In an educational setting this means three things: everyone matters, silence matters, and truth matters.

Everyone Matters

Quaker pedagogy insists that we care for each other as a community, hearing and respecting everyone’s voice, and making sure that school is a safe place for every child.

Silence Matters

A practice of reflection and inquiry is essential to living a life of meaning and purpose. In a busy world, these skills are often overlooked. At Moses Brown, we all make time to reflect, to be thoughtful, and to ask probing questions.

Truth Matters

For more than two centuries, MB has fostered in students a foundation of personal integrity and respect for others, including the non-violent resolution of conflict and a desire to make a positive difference in the world.

Silent Meeting : Weekly Worship

As a Quaker school, Moses Brown follows a central practice of Friends — Meeting for Worship, an extended period of shared silence and reflection. Open to all, Friends Weekly Meeting invites participants to reflect inwardly and, if so moved, to share a message with the community. 

At Moses Brown School, Meeting for Worship —30 minutes of unprogrammed space for silent worship, meditation, or simply reflective thinking - is part of the school week for every child, from nursery through twelfth grade. Each academic division of the school gathers separately in its own Meeting for Worship.

When a student or community member feels moved to share, they can stand and speak publicly to the group before settling back into silence, giving everyone something new to consider if they wish. In advisory groups, students may receive topics for consideration in an upcoming Meeting for Worship. Students are encouraged to find their voice and share their own truths with the community. 

Meeting for Worship is an essential touchstone for students. Upon returning to Moses Brown, many alumni cite it as one of the most cherished aspects of their MB experience and long for this ingrained cultural respect for reflection and introspection.