Summer in Farmington
Sarah Porter Leadership Institute
The Sarah Porter Leadership Institute (SPLI) is our signature summer program for girls grades 6-9. For over 20 years, the Sarah Porter Leadership Institute has provided middle school girls with opportunities to discover and develop leadership skills, explore new experiences and ideas, build community, and make friends.
Throughout each week, girls develop competencies and skills necessary to begin their journey as changemakers – locally, globally, and for a lifetime. As our foundational program, we encourage our first year and younger campers to participate in one, two or three weeks of SPLI before enrolling in our academic institutes or Lead With Impact programming.
Programs fill on a first-come, first-served basis. A non-refundable deposit payment must be made to reserve a space at the time of registration in a program by check or credit card. All payments made after May 30 are non-refundable.
International campers are required to submit TOEFL scores and complete a virtual interview to assess English language proficiency.
For more information, please contact summer-programs@missporters.org
Sign up for an info session and to access early bird registration for 2026!
Early bird registration opens December 1, 2025. General registration opens on January 5, 2026.
Note: you will be taken to our registration website that requires you to create a login to access the Summer in Farmington registration forms.
A limited amount of financial aid is available.
To be considered for financial aid, please complete this form by March 1, 2024. Decisions will be communicated by April 1, 2024.
Week 1: Principles and Practice
Dates: July 5 – 11, 2026
Tuition: Boarding $1750 | Day $1350
Prerequisite: None
Ages: 11-14
Principles and Practice offers girls opportunities to learn, practice, and hone the skills necessary to be strong female leaders. Each day, they encounter exciting challenges to facilitate discovery of their personal leadership styles. Activities focus on problem-solving, skill development, teamwork, and trust. Girls engage in skill-building sessions and service learning opportunities, learn from guest speakers, build confidence and a sense of adventure at a ropes course, and develop a deeper understanding of who they are as a leader and change agent.
Learning Objectives:
Campers will identify and describe different leadership styles and traits, examine community and international leaders who embody these skills, and reflect on how different skill sets contribute to effective leadership in local and global settings.
Campers will exercise different leadership skills through reflection, group tasks, workshops and off-campus experiences.
Campers will reflect on and discover their own leadership strengths and capacities, gaining insight into how they can effectively contribute to and lead in different scenarios.
Week 2: Resilience and Risk-Taking
Dates: July 12 – 18, 2026
Tuition: Boarding $1750 | Day $1350
Prerequisite: None
Ages: 11-14
Resilience and Risk-Taking offers girls opportunities to apply and grow their leadership skills while participating in hands-on, creative challenges. Girls first develop a deep understanding of their own leadership abilities before channeling these skills into learning effective collaboration strategies. Girls participate as team members and leaders in a variety of problem-solving scenarios, designed to practice collaboration, expand comfort zones, build resilience, and prompt growth mindsets. This program includes experiential learning opportunities, including service learning projects in the local community, simulations of real-world projects, off campus wilderness adventure featuring a variety of survival skill challenges, and a night under the stars.
Learning Objectives:
Campers will identify their personal leadership skills and skill-building areas and set individualized, growth-oriented goals to guide their week.
Campers will learn strategies for collaborative problem solving and practice these skills through a variety of hands-on challenges and real-world scenarios.
Campers will reflect on their experiences to enhance their understanding of effective group problem-solving and nurture a growth mindset.
Week 3: Leading Well
Dates: July 19 – 25, 2026
Tuition: Boarding $1750 | Day $1350
Prerequisite: None
Ages: 11-14
Leading Well introduces girls to a multidimensional understanding of the connection between wellness and leadership, with a focus on building self-awareness, confidence, and resilience. The program offers an introduction to fun and creative ways to enhance one’s own well-being through activities like journaling, creative arts, mindful movement, yoga, improv comedy, cooking, gardening, and hiking! Girls reflect on their own leadership journeys as they explore the seven dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, social, environmental, spiritual, financial, and intellectual.
Learning Objectives:
Campers will gain self-awareness and build confidence by engaging in various forms of self-care.
Campers will develop resilience by exploring and applying the seven dimensions of wellness through hands-on activities.
personal life.
Weekend Overnights
July 11-12 and July 18-19
$250 per weekend
Campers may elect to remain on campus over the weekend if they are attending multiple weeks of Summer in Farmington.
On Saturday, campers participate in an off-campus excursion; past locations have included local amusement parks, minor league baseball games, arcades, and the beach.
On Sunday, campers rest, relax, and recharge in preparation for the coming session; they will have access to laundry services, limited technology time, and a choice of activities on campus.
Girls who take advantage of the overnight will have the opportunity to live the Porter’s weekend boarding school experience.