Chicago Friends School - Chicago (IL)

5 /5 Beem Lela (Grateful Yoga): Our kids have been going to Friends School for several years. It’s a beautifully nourishing educational environment that allows each kid to express themselves. The mixed-age approach offers a community feel like I’ve never seen at a school. My kids always say their favorite thing is the hour-long recess. As a parent, my favorite thing is the values-based non-religious foundation of this Quaker school. Tiny but mighty!

5 /5 Sabrina D: We have been so incredibly happy during our first year at Chicago Friends School. While popular on the East Coast, we had never heard of the Friends school philosophy in Chicago. Our son was in a fantastic CPS Pre-K program, but thrives in small group environments which was not an option at CPS. We took him along with us during our first visit, and they let him spend the morning with the kids to see if he felt comfortable. He instantly bonded, and asked to stay the afternoon. They are so welcoming, both students and teachers that you instantly felt part of the community. We have found that they are willing to work with each individual child at their pace to make sure they are always challenged, and never left behind no matter what their pace may be. Communications and involvement from parents are encouraged and welcome. And with so many hands-on activities including a community garden, daily recess, art, drama, language and field trips, each child gets to experience learning in a variety of settings to help foster the love of learning. I highly recommend this school to anyone looking for a unique learning opportunity in a caring, educational environment.

5 /5 Cameron: My son transferred this year to CFS as a fifth grader and the experience has been really positive. Hes excited to go to school every day, loves the individual attention from having small class sizes, finds the academic work engaging, and has been welcomed with understanding and kindness by kids and teachers alike. I also find the community very welcoming, and really appreciate how Quaker values like integrity, peace and community service are woven throughout the educational approach. Its a great fit for our family and we are happy we made the decision to join!

5 /5 RA: Its been an unexpected gift to be able to send our child to a Quaker school such as Chicago Friends School. Having been raised on the east coast, Im aware of the value of a Quaker education - observing my childs (and other students) growth these past few years only highlights its impact even more. Its classroom environment and size nurtures communication and shared attention rather than crowd control classes and attention-grabbing student behavior. The faculty is second to none. The parent group is welcoming and an integral part of the school community. If you are searching for the right school for your K-8th grade learner, Chicago Friends is well worth a look.

5 /5 Mel P: This school has been a great fit for our family and we are excited there is a Quaker school here in Chicago. The school does a remarkable job balancing academic rigor with the unique qualities of Quaker education. Our son is thriving academically, and loves going to school. The teachers are exceptional both as educational leaders and nurturing community builders. Quaker schools in the Northeast US are famous for their style of education. Here in the Midwest, people are less familiar with the tradition. Educationally the school focuses on "we", not just "me" and considers how responsibility to the community and the world enriches our lives and our education. Some well known Quaker schools include Germantown Friends, Sidwell, and some very interesting boarding schools, such as the Oakwood School. I went to Quaker school myself and did my college education at Guilford, a Quaker college. My observation is my peers who went to Quaker schools have a profound sense of satisfaction in their careers given the emphasis on the impact of our lives in the world. We began our time at CFS during the pandemic commuting from the South Loop to Edgewater, which was entirely doable (20 minutes). I think more families across the city could benefit from coming to Edgewater!