At NCS, we teach that leadership means to pursue one’s passion with or without followers, and we believe that all students have the capacity to lead through their consistent actions in service of others.

We bring this approach to life through our Center for Ethical Leadership and Service (CELS), an interdisciplinary collaboration that is woven throughout our curriculum. Through CELS, for instance, Lower School students learn how to become a change agent in daily life, Middle School students explore decision-making through responsibility to others, and Upper School seminars provide the setting to discuss the values and institutions that shape modern leadership.

CELS's programming also brings a wide range of speakers to campus, to engage students in real-world discussions of topics affecting today's and tomorrow's leaders.

A society based on regular connection with others demands unique skills of young people, and those who wish to lead in this world must not only possess an excellent education but also develop a paramount ability to know themselves in relation to those around them. CELS provides our students an early opportunity to develop this ability and become leaders for a new age.