Welcome to State College Friends School 

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We are a Pre-K through grade 8 school, guided and inspired by the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship.  For nearly 40 years, our teachers and staff have been helping students to become successful learners who are confident, creative, and compassionate. 

Since our founding in 1980 as an alternative to public school, our teachers and staff have viewed learning as a process of exploration and self-discovery, through which children build skills and knowledge experientially by working with teachers and fellow students.

We lovingly challenge and support our students to become strong academically, to develop responsible independence, and to appreciate the value of service to others.  As we nurture the light in every child, we strive to help each one develop confidence, imagination, compassion, and hope.        Learn More . . .  

Parents and Students Describe What They Love about Friends School:

  • Everyone is welcomed and involved, right from the start.
  • We felt at home as soon as we entered and we still feel that way.
  • Teachers have a deep concern for children as individuals, each with their own personalities and learning styles.
  • This school designed for real learning, not testing.
  •  It's amazing to be present as a parent in Meeting for Worship and to feel the value of this simple practice.
  • There's time to play and get fresh air, especially in middle school.
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​"I was volunteering yesterday in the room where we answered the question, "how long is our room measured in 2nd graders?" I just want to add that these anecdotal stories ( Facebook post ) aren't a collection of the best of the best - this is yesterday's snapshot, and represents everyday's snapshot.

As a parent and former physics teacher, I love this curriculum and how our teachers teach it. It is full of inquiry, problem solving, and recognition that there are many "right" ways to think about math problems. Every 1 hour class has a balance: a bit of drilling to keep old learning fresh, some teamwork, some public speaking in the form of presentation at the board, some hands on manipulative to see how math represents real quantities. Each week I volunteer I fear the room will ignite as sparks fly from each kid in turn. They are all thriving.

I leave feeling grateful. Every. Single. Day." 
​                              - Parent, Elizabeth Crisfield
School Calendars
SCFS Parent Portal
SCFS Alumni (this link will be reactivated shortly)

News and Noteworthy

New Enrichment Program Complements K-8 Curriculum
Students in K-4th grade at Friends School  have an opportunity on Friday afternoons to discover new interests, participate in community-building activities, deepen their knowledge in a favorite subject area, and/or develop a new hobby through a new program directed by Karen Maynard.  Students in grades 5 through 8 participate in Middle School seminar with Teachers Baily Kellerman and Laura Beckley,  offering a set of similar experiences tailored to the needs and interests of young teens. Coming up next: Terraforming on Mars.
Learn more.  
Friends School adds Pre-K classroom and additional K/1
Earlier this summer, State College Friends School made the difficult decision to close Friends Schoolhouse on E. Prospect Avenue.  Just two weeks ago, Friends Schoolhouse Teachers Deb and Migelle put the finishing touches on the new Pre-K classroom at University Drive.  Learn more.
Student Artists Become Entrepreneurs for a Day
A number of Friends School summer campers, students and alums were present at the downtown Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts on Children's Day.  Learn more.
Donnan Stoicovy Named Interim Head of School
Learn More.
Fun Fair Raises Thousands for Student Scholarship
Learn more/view photos .
Centre Gives Breaks Record with $1,425,745 in Donations and Friends School Raises $17,100.
Learn More.
State College Friends School Honored With Emerald Award for Recycling.  Learn More .
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Friends School ( Pre-K to Grade 8)
1900 University Drive
State College, PA 16801
814-237-8386
​814-235-1446 (fax)
Admissions: Lisa Gamble
Our Pre-K program, formerly known as Friends Schoolhouse, is now  Pre-K at State College Friends School, 1900 University Drive.  Learn more . . .