Arts & Ideas Sudbury School approaches education differently. With a daily schedule that each student creates for themselves, students at A&I are free to learn, explore, and reflect at their own pace in a way that works best for them. Through that freedom, young people become confident, self directed, and deeply engaged with the world around them. Eleanor started at A&I when she was 6 years old. Now 13, she gives tours to prospective families as a Tour Clerk. When she first started at A&I, she remembers thinking the older students were cool and that she loved coming to school. She still does.
“What I think of it now is that it’s a great place that I love coming to. It’s a place where I can ask questions and figure things out.” She says, “My biggest lessons that I will take away from my experience here are learning to be part of a community and give back to it.” Edith, age 6, recently saw a student break a rule and wrote them up for the Judicial Committee (JC). At JC, students meet to hear everyone’s side, discuss whether a rule was broken, and decide the outcome together. Anyone can write anyone else up, and everyone takes a turn on JC. Edith likes JC because she can “solve things out” with her peers. Eleanor likes that “everyone has a voice and can have their opinion heard.”
Ra’Hye, who is almost 8 years old, loves field trips and hanging out with the chickens. His advice to prospective students is simple: “You are going to love it here. It is amazing… you are going to make a lot of friends.”
Arts & Ideas Sudbury School believes children are important people. Through autonomy, authentic democracy, age mixing, and learning through play, students become confident, capable, and extraordinary adults.
This article is part of our 2026-2027 Guide to Baltimore Independent School Guide.
