About PCGL

The world needs female leaders, and Porter’s Center for Global Leadership is specifically designed to produce and support them. Our programs give girls and women the tools they need to be empowered, learn, collaborate, lead, and create innovative solutions to pressing global issues.

Founded in 2020 by Miss Porter’s School, Porter’s Center for Global Leadership (PCGL) was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the world faced unprecedented devastation, we were bound together globally for the first time in recent history. With the increased use of online platforms to connect people across the world, we created PCGL to not only create meaningful connections but to inspire global change.

We have grown to develop five interconnected yet distinct programs – both in-person and online – that build on the foundation of the Miss Porter’s School mission to educate young women to become informed, bold, resourceful, and ethical global citizens who are expected to shape a changing world.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide access to innovative programming, skill development, and networking opportunities for girls and women of all ages and in all places that allow them to lead lives of impact on a global stage.

Our Vision

We prepare girls and women to harness their power, purpose, and passions to address global crises, pressing problems, and systems of oppression through a culturally responsive lens. We center the personal and intellectual growth of each girl and woman with an understanding of her needs in the context of the world she inhabits.

We are a hub for the advancement of girls and women.

Join our network of girls and women who are passionate about making a difference in their lives, communities and the greater world. Through our programs, you will explore timeless questions about challenging topics like racism, gender inequality, climate change, poverty, healthcare, education and so much more. With the tools and resources acquired through our programs, you will gain the knowledge, skills, network and mindset needed to shape a changing world through a global-local lens.

Our Team

Sophie Paris Director of PCGL

Sophie Paris

Director

Krystle Merchant

Emily Surprenant

Leahanne Fenton

Lesley Skendarian

Contact Us

Name

Technology, Arts, and AI: Future Creator's Lab

Sample schedule, subject to change

8:00 a.m. – Wake up

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and 1-on-1 check-ins for International+ campers

9:30 a.m. – Tech Meets Art: Exploring the Digital Canvas

12:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – AI Artistry: Redfining Creativity

3:00 p.m. – Camper free time (down time in dorm, snacks at the Daisy, change for afternoon activities)

3:45 p.m. – Gather & Go

4:00 p.m. – Afternoon activities

5:30 p.m. – Dinner

6:30 p.m. – Evening activity (kickball tournament)

8:30 p.m. – Dorm meeting and games

9:30 p.m. – Relax and prepare for bed

10:00 p.m. – Lights out

Idea Lab

Sample schedule, subject to change

8:00 a.m. – Wake up

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and 1-on-1 check-ins for International+ campers

9:30 a.m. – Unpacking Human-centered Design

12:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – Idea to Impact: Prototyping for Change

3:00 p.m. – Camper free time (down time in dorm, snacks at the Daisy, change for afternoon activities)

3:45 p.m. – Gather & Go

4:00 p.m. – Afternoon activities

5:30 p.m. – Dinner

6:30 p.m. – Evening activity (Color Wars)

8:30 p.m. – Dorm meeting and games

9:30 p.m. – Relax and prepare for bed

10:00 p.m. – Lights out

Global Discourse: A Leadership Exploration

Sample schedule, subject to change

8:00 a.m. – Wake up

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and 1-on-1 check-ins for International+ campers

9:30 a.m. – The Politics of Peacekeeping

12:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – Speak Up! Engaging in Respectful Conversations

3:00 p.m. – Camper free time (down time in dorm, snacks at the Daisy, change for afternoon activities)

3:45 p.m. – Gather & Go

4:00 p.m. – Afternoon activities

5:30 p.m. – Dinner

6:30 p.m. – Evening activity (movie night)

8:30 p.m. – Dorm meeting and games

9:30 p.m. – Relax and prepare for bed

10:00 p.m. – Lights out

Issues to Action

Sample schedule, subject to change

8:00 a.m. – Wake up

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and 1-on-1 check-ins for International+ campers

9:30 a.m. – Opportunities and Challenges of Globalization

12:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – Global Goals in Action: Understanding the UN’s Path to Sustainability

3:00 p.m. – Camper free time (down time in dorm, snacks at the Daisy, change for afternoon activities)

3:45 p.m. – Gather & Go

4:00 p.m. – Afternoon activities

5:30 p.m. – Dinner

6:30 p.m. – Evening activity (campfire, S’mores, and yard games)

8:30 p.m. – Dorm meeting and games

9:30 p.m. – Relax and prepare for bed

10:00 p.m. – Lights out

Our Water Planet

Sample schedule, subject to change

8:00 a.m. – Wake up

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and 1-on-1 check-ins for International+ campers

9:30 a.m. – Exploring Connecticut’s Ecosystems

12:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – Farmington River Study

3:00 p.m. – Camper free time (down time in dorm, snacks at the Daisy, change for afternoon activities)

3:45 p.m. – Gather & Go

4:00 p.m. – Afternoon activities

5:30 p.m. – Dinner

6:30 p.m. – Evening activity (Talent Show)

8:30 p.m. – Dorm meeting and games

9:30 p.m. – Relax and prepare for bed

10:00 p.m. – Lights out

ChangeMaker's Institute

Sample schedule, subject to change

8:00 a.m. – Wake up

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and 1-on-1 check-ins for International+ campers

9:30 a.m. – Naming Your Purpose, Knowing Your Path

12:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – Frameworks for Social Change

3:00 p.m. – Camper free time (down time in dorm, snacks at the Daisy, change for afternoon activities)

3:45 p.m. – Gather & Go

4:00 p.m. – Afternoon activities

5:30 p.m. – Dinner

6:30 p.m. – Evening activity (Guest speaker followed by bonfire and S’mores)

8:30 p.m. – Dorm meeting and games

9:30 p.m. – Relax and prepare for bed

10:00 p.m. – Lights out

Leading Well

Sample schedule, subject to change

8:00 a.m. – Wake up

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and 1-on-1 check-ins for International+ campers

9:30 a.m. – Life in Balance: Exploring the Seven Elements of Wellness

12:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – Element 1: Physical – Creative Movement Workshop

3:00 p.m. – Camper free time (down time in dorm, snacks at the Daisy, change for afternoon activities)

3:45 p.m. – Gather & Go

4:00 p.m. – Afternoon activities

5:30 p.m. – Dinner

6:30 p.m. – Evening activity (Talent Show!)

8:30 p.m. – Dorm meeting and games

9:30 p.m. – Relax and prepare for bed

10:00 p.m. – Lights out

Resilience and Risk-taking

Sample schedule, subject to change

8:00 a.m. – Wake up

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and 1-on-1 check-ins for International+ campers

9:30 a.m. – Lead & Lean: Harnessing Collaborative Strength

12:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – Trust Tower Challenge

3:00 p.m. – Camper free time (down time in dorm, snacks at the Daisy, change for afternoon activities)

3:45 p.m. – Gather & Go

4:00 p.m. – Afternoon activities

5:30 p.m. – Dinner

6:30 p.m. – Evening activity (Color Wars!)

8:30 p.m. – Dorm meeting and games

9:30 p.m. – Relax and prepare for bed

10:00 p.m. – Lights out

Principles and Practice

Sample schedule, subject to change

8:00 a.m. – Wake up

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast and 1-on-1 check-ins for International+ campers

9:30 a.m. – Leadership Compass: Finding Your Direction

12:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – Blueprint for Leaders: What Sets them Apart?

3:00 p.m. – Camper free time (down time in dorm, snacks at the Daisy, change for afternoon activities)

3:45 p.m. – Gather & Go

4:00 p.m. – Afternoon activities

5:30 p.m. – Dinner

6:30 p.m. – Evening activity (campfire, S’mores and yard games)

8:30 p.m. – Dorm meeting and games

9:30 p.m. – Relax and prepare for bed

10:00 p.m. – Lights out