This summer, Abington Friends School welcomed Quaker educators from Friends schools across the country for the inaugural Friends Forward Conference for Quaker School Professionals, a gathering dedicated to professional learning, collaboration and the future of Quaker education.

Presented in partnership with Carolina Friends School in North Carolina, Friends Seminary in New York City and Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., the conference centered on a question at the heart of Friends education: What does Quaker education ask of us today?

Through keynote conversations, workshops, Meeting for Worship and informal fellowship, participants considered both the practices that have long grounded Friends schools and the opportunities and challenges shaping education today. Sessions ranged from student well-being, inclusion and conflict resolution to artificial intelligence, instructional practice, student journalism and leadership development.

Throughout the conference, AFS educators were among those sharing their own practices and experiences with colleagues from other Friends schools.

Across these workshops and the conference as a whole, a common thread emerged: the enduring relevance of Quaker values in preparing young people to think deeply, act with integrity and engage compassionately with a changing world.

 

Hosting Friends Forward reflects AFS’ commitment not only to the education of our own students, but also to the continued growth and vitality of Friends education. By opening our campus as a place where educators could learn with and from one another, AFS helped strengthen a community of practice that reaches well beyond our classrooms.

"I’m relatively new to Friends education, yet I’ve seen how Quakerism emphasizes the gathering of individuals for the benefit of all. In sitting together in Meeting for Worship, we can see how the power of being together impacts each individual and the group as a whole," reflected Adena Dershowitz, Director of the Fourth Century Center at AFS and Clerk of the Friends Forward Steering Committee. "In this conference, we too were able to be together and grow together—as Friends school practitioners and as people who are consistently improving, finding community, and seeking joy."

The conference was made possible through the Fourth Century Fund, whose donors support opportunities to deepen and advance Quaker education at AFS and beyond. Their generosity helped bring the wider Friends school community together on our campus—giving educators the opportunity to exchange ideas, renew connections and return to their schools with new practices and a deeper sense of shared purpose.

AFS Educators Share Quaker Teaching Practices

Moments That Matter: Leading with Reflection and Quaker Values
Lauren Bracey, Middle School Spanish Teacher
Moments That Matter is a professional learning session designed to help educators navigate the everyday moments that shape school culture. Rather than focusing on finding the “right” answer to challenging situations, the workshop encourages participants to practice slowing down and reflecting on how their responses can foster belonging, trust and growth within their communities.

The Digital Meetinghouse
Daniel Benjamin, Upper School English Teacher
The Digital Meetinghouse explores how student journalism can serve as a vital “public square” within Quaker schools, creating space for respectful disagreement, discernment and civic engagement. Drawing on Abington Friends School’s student newspaper, The Blue and White, the workshop invites educators to consider how thoughtfully moderated digital forums can elevate student voices, strengthen community dialogue and put Quaker values into practice around complex issues.

The Wheat from the Chaff
Keisha Hirlinger, Lower School Music Teacher, and Pete Thobaben, Middle School Art Teacher
The Wheat from the Chaff introduces educators to “threshing,” a Quaker practice that creates space for thoughtful exploration of complex or challenging topics without requiring participants to reach an immediate conclusion. Through experiencing the protocol together, participants practice deep listening, equitable sharing and collective discernment while considering how threshing can deepen teaching, learning and community dialogue in their own schools.