Sidwell Friends School, Private Quaker school in Washington, D.C., United States
Sidwell Friends School is a private Quaker school in Washington, D.C., spread across two campuses and serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The buildings include modern classrooms, athletic facilities, a theater studio, and laboratories for science subjects.
Thomas Sidwell founded the school in 1883 with eleven students in a rented building downtown. The institution expanded its offerings by 1925, becoming the first in Washington, D.C. to cover all grades from kindergarten through high school.
Students attend weekly Quaker meetings and begin each day with moments of silence, following the religious principles of the Friends community. This practice connects classroom learning with the tradition of the Friends, without feeling intrusive.
The school admits only a small portion of applicants and offers financial support for families who need it. Classes are held in small groups, so each student receives more attention.
Children of several American presidents have attended this school, including those of Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. This connection to national politics has brought the institution into public awareness without changing its educational character.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
