Two students sit at a desk, looking at a pencil case with school supplies. One is pointing at the items inside, while the other smiles. Papers, a laptop, and other items are scattered on the table.

Three young women walk outside on a sunny day, smiling. They wear casual summer outfits and hold small bags or phones, with greenery and buildings in the background.

Three young women wearing white dresses and floral crowns stand together, smiling, outdoors on a sunny day with greenery in the background.

A woman talks at a table with others. In front of her is a laptop displaying Final Summative. Small boxes and papers are on the table, and the setting appears to be a classroom or group workspace.

Two women in light dresses stand outside, smiling and looking at an open book. One holds a camera. There is greenery and a building in the background.

Living our mission

Miss Porter’s School educates young women to become informed, bold, resourceful and ethical global citizens. We expect our graduates to shape a changing world.

At Porter’s, our mission powers everything we do. It drives us to challenge and support our students so that they build the knowledge, connections and confidence they need  to thrive and live lives of purpose.

Here are some of the ways our mission shows up across campus:

AMPLIFYING EVERY VOICE DEEP, INTENTIONAL LEARNING FOSTERING A COMMUNITY OF TRUE BELONGING SEEING AND SUPPORTING EVERY STUDENT HONORING TRADITION WHILE SHAPING THE FUTURE

A young woman in a white dress smiles while speaking at a podium during a graduation ceremony. People in academic regalia stand behind her. The podium features the Miss Porters School emblem.

Amplifying Every Voice

Each Porter’s student uses their voice to spark positive change—on campus and out in the world. Every member of our community is committed to lifting those voices and celebrating our students as they step into their power.

Three young women sit indoors having a discussion. One, wearing a pink shirt and braids, gestures while talking. The other two listen, one holding a pencil. The setting is bright and casual.

Deep, Intentional Learning

Learning at Porter’s is hands-on, creative, curious and bold. Our students explore across disciplines, investigate global ideas and engage with different viewpoints. They tackle real-world challenges and graduate prepared to lead rich and purposeful lives.

Five young women sit on brick pavement around a tall Jenga tower, smiling at the camera. There are chairs and outdoor games in the background.

Fostering a Community of True Belonging

Students come to Porter’s from across the country and around the world, each with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and lived experiences. We embrace that difference: celebrating what makes us unique while cultivating a welcoming community where everyone belongs.

Two women sit at a table with papers and items, talking and gesturing. One raises her hand, the other points. Sunlight comes through a window behind them.

Seeing and Supporting Every Student

Porter’s students are more than ambitious learners—they’re whole people with distinct needs, goals and identities. We truly see and know each student here, offering holistic support and resources so they can use their voices, tap into their power and truly thrive.

A close-up of a hand with a ring on the middle finger, adorned with yellow ribbons tied around the fingers. The background is blurred grass and patterned clothing.

Honoring Tradition While Shaping the Future

Traditions, both old and new, are how we celebrate Porter’s long history and help students develop a sense of connection and belonging that spans generations. But we honor the past with a clear eye on the future, embracing constant growth and deliberate evolution.

Mission into Action

A large group of people poses and smiles in front of an old stone building with a bell tower, under a cloudy sky. There are palm trees nearby and grass in the foreground.

A woman in a gray sweater pins a paper to a wall covered with documents in an office or classroom, focusing intently on her task.

Close-up of two pairs of hands shaping wet clay on a pottery wheel, with fingers covered in clay, creating a small bowl.

Two people in protective beekeeping suits inspect a hive frame outdoors, surrounded by flying bees. One holds the frame above an open beehive, while the other stands nearby.

While immersed in global coursework and travel opportunities, you’ll learn about pressing issues impacting individuals, families and communities around the world.

PURPOSE MEETS IMPACT

Every member of our community has a story to tell about how Porter’s mission has shaped their life and the lives of others.

A woman with long dark hair speaks passionately into a microphone, gesturing with her hands. She wears a white and blue dress and gold jewelry, standing indoors with columns and large windows in the background.

“Porter’s students and Ancients do actually shape a changing world, whatever that world may be to them. It could be in big or small ways, but it has an impact.”

A person in a red sweater gestures toward a projected presentation on a classroom whiteboard, speaking to others while students watch in the background.

“Porter’s shapes leaders for tomorrow and creates a place where girls thrive and find their voice and their agency. That’s powerful.”

Two people sit at a table, one gesturing toward a laptop while talking. A dark vase sits between them. They appear to be discussing something in a bright indoor setting.

“The mission shows up in small ways every day — like the confidence to ask harder questions in math or to share a poem in English.” 

A group of people posing and smiling on steps near a river, with the Oberbaum Bridge and towers in the background under a blue sky with clouds.

“Traveling with Porter’s gave me the courage to see myself as a global citizen, not just a student.” 

Our Vision

In keeping with our founder’s vision, Miss Porter’s School joins tradition with innovation to provide an exemplary education to young women. Generation after generation, our leadership is defined by our ability to articulate how young women think, how young women learn, and why gender matters.

Within our legacy lies our future.

ANCIENTS IN ACTION

Porter’s becomes part of you; just ask our graduates. They carry our mission into every chapter of their lives, living lives of purpose and leading the way in classrooms, boardrooms, labs and beyond.

Learn more about our Ancients of Impact →

A woman with medium-length brown hair smiles at the camera while standing outdoors. She wears a black quilted leather jacket and a black top. Sunlight illuminates her face, and trees are visible in the blurry background.

Sydni Scott ’18 is working to shape a better world. Porter’s first Rhodes Scholar, she founded and directed The Amendment Project to engage youth in lobbying for reparative justice.

Smiling older woman with light skin, blond hair tied back, wearing glasses on her head, gold earrings, a colorful scarf, and a coral jacket, standing in front of a blurred, light background.

Elizabeth Blake ’69 is an accomplished lawyer who used her legal expertise to advance social progress and served as general counsel and senior vice-president of advocacy and government affairs at Habitat for Humanity International.

A woman with long dark hair and light eyes smiles softly while leaning on her hand by a window, wearing a white lace jacket. The city skyline is visible in the blurred background.

Maddie Goldberg ’16, now an Emmy-winning animator, grew her passion for creative storytelling at Porter’s, where she learned about video production and filmmaking. She also founded the MPS Film Club.

A woman with shoulder-length curly hair, wearing glasses and a green patterned high-neck top, smiles outdoors with a blurred, sunny background of greenery.

Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris ’71 is a distinguished physician, author and speaker. She was the first Black student to attend Porter’s, and served on the Board of Trustees from 1993-1999.

A woman with wavy light brown hair smiles and holds a white mug that says VOTE.ORG in red and blue letters. She wears a black shirt with a red heart and gold jewelry, sitting against a white wall.

A voting rights advocate and former member of Porter’s Alumnae Board, Andrea Hailey ’99 is CEO of Vote.org, the country’s largest nonpartisan digital voter engagement organization.

A deep and enduring commitment to community service has defined the life of Mimi Colgate Kirk ’57, GP’26, whose significant volunteer contributions have benefited health care, the environment and Miss Porter’s School.

Our Community Call to Action

We are the living legacy of Sarah Porter. At a time when women were undervalued, she created an intentional community for young women to gain greater agency in their lives. While her vision was radically brave in nature, it was not accessible to all women.

Like our founder, we are both bold in our desire for change and limited by the scope of our experience. To expand Sarah Porter’s vision to be more fully inclusive and equitable, we must:

Commit to the work of building a school community rooted in the inherent worth and dignity of each individual, with courage and integrity.
Grapple with the responsibility of enacting change, both within and beyond our time in Farmington.
Hold ourselves accountable for our own limitations, while forging a foundation for future leaders to fix the mistakes we leave behind.

In doing so, we contribute to a more just chapter in our institution’s legacy.

Learn more about the people and work that shape the Porter’s community.