AISGW was founded in 1951 as the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, an organization supporting independent private schools in Washington, D.C. and its environs. Since then, we’ve grown to a community of 75 schools educating over 30,000 students from early childhood through high school in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Our schools are non-profit, governed by lay boards of directors, independently financed, and have non-discrimination admissions and employment policies. They serve many different types of students using many different educational strategies, providing families with a wide range of educational options, and helping to make greater Washington one of the most vibrant educational landscapes in the nation.