Making Major Strides as We Advance Friends Select

Adding a Fifth Pillar:
Environmental Sustainability

In a significant development, the Friends Select board of trustees recently approved the addition of a fifth pillar to the strategic plan: Environmental Sustainability. The inclusion of this focus reflects the school’s commitment to fostering environmental stewardship and sustainability in all aspects of its operations and curriculum—from educational content to food consumption to endowment growth to sources of energy generation. Aspiring to be a leader among educational institutions in urban environmental sustainability, Friends Select is committed to contributing to the improvement of the city of Philadelphia through collaboration and attention to emerging opportunities. 

As members of the Sustainability committee, Friends Select faculty and staff, students, families, and trustees will help guide the implementation of initiatives aimed at reducing the school’s environmental footprint and promoting sustainable practices in an effort to align with Philadelphia’s goal for carbon neutrality by 2050. Strategies include enhancing energy efficiency across campus buildings and identifying food waste, prioritizing environmental sustainability principles in construction projects, and embedding sustainability education in the curriculum.  

World languages department chair and middle school Latin teacher Erik Hermans P’34 has clerked the Sustainability committee since 2022 and will continue his role as environmental sustainability becomes a permanent strategic priority. “If we are to take our own moral integrity seriously as an institution, we must make sustainability integral to everything that we do, from our facilities to our curriculum to our kitchen. I am honored to work at a school that is including sustainability as a pillar of its strategic plan,” he said. “Because so many financial decisions are ultimately justified by the pillars of the strategic plan, I think that sustainability will become more integral in both the short- and the long-term decisions that this school will make.”

As an environmentalist, board clerk Ingrid Lakey ’89, P’27 believes the strength of this strategic initiative stems from its strong foundation in student leadership and advocacy; the creation of the Sustainability committee was driven by the work of Corey Becker ’22, a senior at the time who was also a leader in the upper school Environmentalism club. “It is so important that the push came from students. From their work, we as a board started responding immediately and incorporated environmental sustainability as part of our conversations in the property and finance committee meetings,” Ingrid said. “Now that the Environmental Sustainability pillar is finally in place, it feels appropriate and fitting that it was driven by students.”

A Transformation Campaign Project
with Game-Changing Potential 

A cornerstone of Advance Friends Select and its Use of Space pillar is the Transformation Campaign. With a focus on optimizing the school’s physical environment to better support Excellence in Teaching and Learning, projects to date include the transformation of the Parkway Building’s lobby; the Gilroy Roberts Art Studio; lower school classrooms; and the rooftop athletic field; as well as the expansion of Friends Select’s campus with the creation of the upper school STEAM Building. 

In the spring, the board approved the Back Lot Transformation, an ambitious project that will require major philanthropic commitments from our community. This state-of-the-art, outdoor learning space would revolutionize the school’s educational opportunities for all students and families, faculty, staff, and beyond. The Back Lot Transformation would exemplify how urban schools can creatively use limited space to benefit both the school community and the surrounding environment. It would also tie together other pillars of the strategic plan in its aim to transform the Parkway Building campus by making it universally accessible, improving safety and wellness, providing a multilevel outdoor park for all, adding much-needed space for the middle school to gather, and prioritizing environmental sustainability.

“For the Back Lot Transformation, the board has challenged us to raise $5 million in gifts and pledges by February 2025 to be able to proceed with this ambitious and impactful project, and the board is joining in the effort to meet that fundraising goal,” said head of school Michael Gary. “The impact of this project will be felt and enjoyed by many generations to come. And to do that, it will require our entire community to help us raise the funds needed.” 

Ensuring Friends Select’s Long-Term Financial Health

Another focus of Advance Friends Select is ensuring the long-term financial health of the school. A robust endowment—a fund consisting of contributions the school invests each year and then draws from the interest—is crucial for maintaining financial stability, funding a commitment to providing financial aid, supporting faculty and staff both financially and with professional development, and investing in programs and facilities. 

Friends Select has set an ambitious goal to significantly increase its endowment to meet the school’s most critical needs, support its mission, and help ensure it remains an inclusive community. “By contributing to our endowment, you are sustaining the Friends Select legacy for generations to come. Your gift is an investment in our students, faculty, and staff,” said Michael. “A strong endowment will help us fulfill our promise of making a Friends Select education accessible to students who belong here, and it will enable us to continue providing the exceptional educational experience and community that our alumni cherish.”

To support the endowment fund, contributions can be made through donations as well as through planned giving, which are made as part of one’s estate plans. This includes gifts made through life insurance, and charitable gift annuities, and by naming Friends Select as a beneficiary in a will. 

The Advance Friends Select strategic plan continues to serve as a testament to the school’s proactive and visionary approach to Quaker education as an institution “in the city and of the city.” By maintaining a focus on sustainability and inclusivity, Friends Select continues to uphold its Quaker values. 

“To me, the entire strategic plan is rooted in the Quaker testimony of stewardship,” Ingrid said. “How are we being stewards of our students’ education? How are we being stewards of an institution that attracts brilliant partnerships? How are we being stewards of our endowment and our budget, making responsible choices for now and the future? How are we doing our part to give our students the best future possible? These strategic components allow us to create a space where all of us can feel as if we’re part of something bigger than ourselves.” 

To make a gift to support the Advance Friends Select: Transformation Campaign, or for more information about the Back Lot Transformation, please contact Christine Jefferson, chief development officer (215-561-5900 x3141 or chrisj@friends-select.org).