Summer in Farmington
Summer Leadership Programs for Girls
Girls who attend Summer in Farmington develop the vision, determination, character, and capacity to begin to shape a changing world.
Summer in Farmington offers girls an opportunity to live on campus for one week or more, learning and collaborating with their peers in an environment that supports their development as future leaders.
In our inclusive and supportive environment, middle school girls are given individualized attention by world class faculty. Joining us in Farmington, Connecticut, on Miss Porter’s School’s beautiful campus, girls will be inspired to let their curiosity and confidence soar as they connect with each other while learning to lead, collaborate, and become informed, bold, resourceful, ethical global citizens.
Summer Programs for Middle School Girls
Our summer programs for middle school girls are designed to provide girls entering grades 6 through 9 the opportunity to experience the Miss Porter’s School residential community while learning lifelong leadership skills from the leader in girls’ education.
Girls thrive in our supportive, collaborative environment where curiosity and confidence blossom. They complete their programs with a greater understanding of all they can accomplish as informed, bold, resourceful, ethical global citizens.
Summer in Farmington will run from Sunday, July 6 - Saturday, July 26, 2025
Registration for 2025 will open in late 2024.
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 June 15 are non-refundable.
The TOEFL and English language proficiency are required for international students.
For more information, please contact summer-programs@missporters.org
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 number of scholarships are available.
To be considered for a scholarship, please complete this form by March 1, 2024. Decisions will be communicated by April 1, 2024.
2025 Program Offerings
Sarah Porter Leadership Institute
The Sarah Porter Leadership Institute (SPLI) is our signature summer program for girls grades 6-9.
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 ChangeMaker’s programming.
Week 1: Principles and Practice
July 6 – 12, 2025
$1750
Week 2: Risk-taking and Resilience
July 13 – 19, 2025
$1750
Week 3: Leading Well
July 20 – 26, 2025
$1750
ChangeMaker's Institute
The ChangeMaker’s Institute is an elevated leadership program, offering girls grade 7-9 a personalized approach to passion-driven changemaking within their communities.
ChangeMaker’s Institute is designed for returning campers to build upon the foundation established in the Sarah Porter Leadership Institute (SPLI). Campers must have completed any two weeks of SPLI prior to enrolling.
Institutes: Learning Beyond the Classroom
Our academic institutes introduce girls grades 7-9 to the key tenets of the Miss Porter’s School learning environment, which are interdisciplinary in nature and global in scope.
In each institute, girls investigate the world beyond their immediate environment, recognize their own and other’s perspectives, learn to communicate their ideas effectively across a diverse audience, and take action to contribute to a more just and sustainable world. Our commitment to experiential learning combines content with real world experiences.
Girls learn beyond the classroom by conducting field research, interacting with leaders in their respective fields, and developing skills through real world application and hands-on experience.
Institute for Global Education
Offered in partnership with the Institute for Global Education at Miss Porter’s School.
Issues to Action
July 6 – 12, 2025
$1750
Global Discourse: A Leadership Exploration
July 13 – 19, 2025
$1750
Institute for Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Offered in partnership with the Institute for Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at Miss Porter’s School.
Idea Lab
July 13 – 19, 2025
$1750
Technology, Arts, and AI: Future Creator’s Lab
July 20 – 26, 2025
$1750
Institute for Scientific Research and Inquiry
Offered in partnership with the Science department at Miss Porter’s School.
Enrichment Opportunities
International+ Program
June 30 – July 5, 2025
$2000
The International+ Program offers international campers a unique opportunity to arrive at camp early for a dedicated week of cultural immersion and enrichment. During this time, girls can settle in early, tour the local area, and enjoy an exclusive preview of campus life.
Girls participate in cultural immersion activities, featuring English language classes, to help them feel confident and connected. Girls also experience fun excursions, including trips to local stores, food markets, and nearby attractions, designed to introduce them to the community and its culture. The program culminates with a memorable Fourth of July celebration, giving girls a taste of American traditions and a chance to build lasting connections before the full camp experience begins.
Throughout their duration at camp, campers in the International+ program will have designated counselors and staff available to support their acclimation to camp. Staff support includes, but is not limited to, weekly one-on-one check-ins, afternoon, and weekend activities.
Weekend Overnights
July 12-13 and July 19-20
$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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! We encourage campers to join us for as many weeks as they can! Our team works to ensure that each program is unique in content to offer new activities, field trips, and speakers each week. And, we plan lots of fun activities on the weekends between sessions that continue to build community and bring joy to campers.
No! Campers are invited to move between the Sarah Porter Leadership Institute and the other Institutes program sessions to select the right and most exciting program for them.
For example, campers may choose to participate in IGE: Issues to Action for Week 1, SPLI 2: Risk-Taking and Resilience for Week 3, and ISRI: Our Water Planet for Week 3.
We are customizable to fit your interests!
The only program that has a prerequisite is the ChangeMaker’s Institute, which does require that campers have completed two Sarah Porter Leadership Institute programs. This program is intentionally designed with returning campers in mind, offering an elevated leadership track for campers looking to put their skills into practice through community initiatives.
One change this year is that no prerequisites are required for any Sarah Porter Leadership Institute (SPLI) programs. Campers are encouraged to sign up for the SPLI programming that best piques their interest and journey.
Campers may opt to stay on campus during the weekend between consecutive sessions by registerings for Weekend Overnights. This package includes several excursions, including an off-campus field trip on Saturday, an on-campus activity on Saturday evening, an activity in the local Farmington community on Sunday; it also includes all meals and boarding through the weekend.
Campers remaining on campus will have designated time with their personal devices to call home.
Campers are not permitted to bring cell phones, smart watches, laptops, or other personal electronic devices to camp. We encourage our Summer in Farmington families to send their campers to camp without these devices. Campers who do bring personal electronic devices will be asked to turn them in during registration: items will be safely stored until the end of camp.
Campers who are attending consecutive weeks of camp will have designated times during the weekend to make phone calls home. Should your camper like to call home during the weekend, we ask families to turn in the camper’s cell phone at registration; we will store the phone until the weekend, return it during the designated times, and collect them afterwards.
Please note that some of our Institutes: Learning Beyond the Classroom programs do require the use of personal computers or laptops. More information will be sent out upon registration regarding our handling policy.
Yes! Campers may request a roommate by emailing Summer-Programs@missporters.org. Please note that while we do our best to accommodate all requests, we cannot guarantee rooming preferences.
Summer in Farmington is committed to meeting the needs of each individual camper to ensure an accessible, inclusive, and engaging learning environment for all.
Learning and medical accommodations are managed on a case by case basis. Please review our Camper Essential Eligibility Criteria and, if needed, complete the Request for Accommodation form, both found on our registration platform. If you have questions regarding accommodations, please email summer-programs@missporters.org.
Before registering, all international campers are required to submit their TOEFL scores to Summer-Programs@missporters.org and schedule a 15 minute virtual interview with a member of our team to assess English proficiency. Once scores have been received and interviews have been conducted, international campers may proceed with registering for Summer in Farmington.
Our International+ Program offers international campers the unique opportunity to arrive on campus early for a week of cultural immersion and enrichment activities. Reach out to Summer-Programs@missporters.org for more information.
Yes! We offer a limited amount of financial aid to campers applying to Summer in Farmington. The application for financial aid will be available when registration opens and applications are due by February 1, 2025.
Yes! We offer a 10% discount for the second registered sibling. This discount extends across Summer in Farmington and Daisy Days.
Sign up for more information about Summer in Farmington and access to the 2025 early bird registration window. You will also be notified about our NEW day program for girls in grades 3-5!
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