The school's mission is to guide students to identify their talents, understand where their challenges lie, and honor their unique identities.

It works toward this goal through a diverse, active curriculum that uses teaching and operational strategies to promote social equity, justice, and environmental stewardship.

[citation needed] The school's social education program includes monthly community service projects; a student trip that follows the path of civil rights from Atlanta, Georgia, to Selma, Alabama; individual college counseling; and weekly advisory meetings.

[citation needed] Outgrowing the space and enrollment limitations of the Ethical Society building, the school began searching for property in the mid-1990s, culminating in the purchase of land in Silver Spring, Maryland.

With a donation from former faculty member Beau Kaplan and his wife Linda, the school built a new building and grew enrollment by 50% in 2000.