In 1962, Elizabeth Morgan founded Arthur Morgan School with the intention of helping adolescents develop into empowered, creative and critical thinking human beings. Today, our three-year program is still in line with her goals, following the ideals of Maria Montessori, Nikolaj Grundtvig, Johann Pestalozzi, Mahatma Gandhi, John Dewey, and the Society of Friends.
We believe in the importance of educating the whole child, meaning the head, heart and hands of each student, through a combination of work, study and social interaction.
We believe that students learn best through experiential education in small, mixed level groups that explore the natural and social worlds of which we are a part.
We believe in the importance of helping students make connections between their education and the world around them, including providing them opportunities to learn about social and environmental responsibility and participate in our democratic governance system.
We believe that students in this age group excel when living in a rural setting surrounded by adults of various ages who are their teachers, house parents, and mentors.
We believe in democratic education, where students participate in the real work of running a school and have a voice in their education.
We believe in helping students gain independence and learn the value of work through running our farm and small cottage industries.
We believe in the Quaker principles of simple living, non-violent resolution of conflict, consensus decision making, service learning, community life and equality.
We believe that education is a process and not a product. That is to say, we encourage our students to become lifelong learners by promoting the idea that “education is not preparation for life; education is life itself” (John Dewey).