Academic Center

Open to all students in Grades 7-12, the Mariana Wright Chapman Academic Center, funded in part by a gift from the Class of 2008, is a place for quiet study and collaborative work. It is staffed by writing and math specialists who provide support by way of drop-ins and appointments (students in Grades 7 & 8 are by appointment only). Support is available during the school day and after school on the days when open until 4:30 PM. A peer tutoring program, run by the Academic Center Director, allows students in Grades 10-12 to meet with fellow students in Grades 7-12 about their various courses of study (not limited to writing and math). The Academic Center serves all students throughout the year, and works in the interest of their success.

Mariana Wright Chapman (1843-1907) was a Quaker, born here in New York City, who attended Friends Institute, which was ultimately renamed Friends Seminary. She became president of the New York State Suffrage Association and was a founding member of the Friends Equal Rights Association. Although women's rights were the focus of Mariana's activism, her concern for prison reform, peace, and education all helped to bring about a world that ought to be. Her descendants have continued to be active at Friends as students and members of the Board of Trustees.