Our Story
The world has changed since those first twelve children walked into a barn in 2000.
Our conviction has not.Preparing children for what's next. Protecting what matters now.
Our Story
Nantucket Lighthouse School began with a belief that still guides us today: childhood deserves time.
Time to wonder. Time to ask questions. Time to make, explore, imagine, and discover. Time for children to become more fully themselves before the world asks them who they are going to be.
In 1999, teacher Lizbet Carroll Fuller and parent Elizabeth Edwards Sundell began imagining a different kind of school on Nantucket. They believed learning could be rigorous without being rushed, that intellect and character should be nurtured side by side, and that some of the most meaningful learning happens when children are invited to look closely, think deeply, and follow a question wherever it might lead.
A year later, twelve children and two teachers gathered for the first day of Nantucket Lighthouse School.
What began in a small barn has grown into a preschool-through-eighth-grade school, but the idea at its heart remains remarkably constant: an education can prepare children for what comes next without asking them to hurry through where they are now.
At Lighthouse, we believe childhood is not simply preparation for the future. It is a meaningful and important part of life in its own right.
Mission
A Nantucket Lighthouse School education cultivates intellectual, social, and moral wisdom and prepares each child to lead a joyful and impactful life.
Philosophy
At Nantucket Lighthouse School, we are committed to the education of the whole child—head, heart, and hands. Through a curriculum rooted in wonder, beauty, and real-world experience, we inspire children to think critically, act responsibly, and engage joyfully with the world around them.
We strive to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning community where every individual feels a sense of belonging. This approach fosters deep connections to oneself, others, the community, and the natural world.
Balanced with rigor and care, a Lighthouse education empowers children with the knowledge, confidence, and ethical foundation to meet the challenges of modern society with imagination and purpose.
