STATE COLLEGE — Inside a small, tree-lined campus on University Drive, students at State College Friends School are learning lessons that go far beyond math and science. They’re learning to use their voices.
For middle school co-lead and teacher Kristin Leung, that’s what sets the Quaker-based school apart.
“The difference between public (schools) and Friends is almost something that I would not have believed unless I experienced it myself,” Leung said. “Obviously, one of the big differences is that we have small class sizes and can give more individual attention to our students. But the biggest piece is that we focus on things like community, social-emotional learning, civic engagement and social justice. That’s the foundation of what we’re doing here.”
Leung, who spent 20 years in public education outside Philadelphia, said the Quaker “SPICES” — simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship — guide the learning experience at Friends School.
“These are things everyone should be doing,” she said. “It’s not that public school teachers don’t value them, but when you’re driven by standardized testing and larger classes, it’s harder to slow down and focus on these things. Here, it’s built into everything.”
That philosophy shows up in how decisions are made. Leung said students play a role in shaping the school’s programs and priorities.
“When we decided to revamp our middle school program, we didn’t just sit down with administrators,” she said. “We asked our students, ‘What makes this place special? What would you love to see for future Friends School students?’ Everyone has a voice.”
That voice doesn’t stop at the classroom door. On Oct. 10, Leung’s students met with state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-171, to lobby in support of House Bill 1706, a proposed measure promoting mental health awareness and training in public schools.
“He told the kids, ‘I just came from a meeting with 200 union workers, and they didn’t speak up as much as this group of eight middle schoolers did,’” Leung recalled. “Our kids are really encouraged to use their voices.”
Advocacy is a key part of the Friends experience. In recent years, students have traveled to Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers and promote legislation on issues from environmental protection to human rights. This year, they’ll continue that work through a new “Change Makers Project” where each middle schooler selects a community issue and develops an action plan.
“They’ll be writing letters, reaching out to local organizations or working on solutions right here in State College,” Leung said. “We want them to know that even though they’re young, they can make a difference.”
The Friends School’s curriculum also prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion, something Leung said is both rewarding and challenging in a small school of about 90 students.
“We’ve been working through a faculty-led DEI subcommittee, developing a rubric to assess how inclusive we really are,” she said. “We’re trying trying to expose the students to the world through the lens of many different people [by] reading about certain historical events in the US or in the world and say, ‘okay, this is the lens or the perspective that we might normally see this through. Who else is involved in this story? What voices are being heard?’”
Outside of the classroom, community support is just as strong. Leung said parents are deeply involved in school life, from attending advocacy trips to volunteering at events like last weekend’s Fun Fair, a student- and family-led festival featuring live music, art projects, games and food.
“We had kids who designed and built carnival games for prizes and there were snacks available,” she said. “There was live music from local musicians. It’s to get the community together because that’s important to us. We wanted to all come together on a weekend to have fun, to see one another, to invite our friends that are outside of the Friend School community, our neighbors and family members.”
For Leung, that sense of belonging defines the Friends experience.
“When I went through a rough patch last year, the community stepped up,” she said. “The whole community came together and was like, ‘we’ll help you out if you need it.’ I know that they would do the same for anyone in our community, whether at Friends School or State College more broadly.”
More information about State College Friends School, including upcoming events and enrollment details, can be found at scfriends.org.
