Since 1843, Miss Porter’s School has been a trailblazer in girls’ education, partnering tradition with innovation. Our proven ability to develop strong female leaders has been replicated decade after decade with unquestionable outcomes.
Our academic program is mission-driven, global in scope and highly personalized. It evolves in response to the changing world and the needs of our students. It emphasizes the liberal arts, exposing girls to timeless questions while preparing them to address the pressing problems of our world.
We focus on establishing courses and programs that are engaging, relevant, interdisciplinary and experiential. Our classes are student-centered and discussion-based. Our teachers practice a mastery approach to learning and assess student growth through authentic tasks and projects. Our students value collaboration, problem solving, inquiry and social responsibility.
Bound together by their experiences in Farmington, our graduates shape a changing world. It is the intentional intersection between our enduring legacy and our commitment to progressive education that prepares them to do so.
Porter’s is a dynamic community of teachers and students, all of whom are learners. The goals for all of our students are the same, but the ways in which they achieve them are entirely their own. We develop our students’ initiative, independence and habits of mind to prepare them for their unique paths.
With more than 100 course offerings in arts, humanities, languages, math, sciences and social sciences, students experience a wealth of opportunity in their academic journeys. With an average class size of 12, their intellectual curiosity is encouraged and empowered.
We prepare our students for global change with a dynamic, interdisciplinary approach to learning. As balanced, thoughtful women, our graduates set out to shape the world. The goal of the academic program is to challenge and support girls as they learn to use their awareness, determination and intellect to solve some of the world’s most urgent problems and address humanity’s timeless questions. Thus, the MPS course of study will be organized around interdisciplinary themes, including:
Our students need more than traditional skills within the context of traditional disciplines. They need to learn to innovate and create. They need to understand what it means to be an entrepreneur. They need to conduct original research. They need to use a deep understanding of the humanities and social sciences to address complex social issues. They also need confidence, motivation, interpersonal skills, cross-cultural competencies, resilience, a growth mindset and curiosity. They need all of this because the world needs them.
Pressing problems and timeless questions are used as lenses through which students approach learning. Below are some examples of pressing problems and their timeless questions.