Ethel Walker School
Each summer, The Ethel Walker School offers a wide range of fun summer programs on campus for girls and boys of all ages and levels of interest.
Read more about our 2021 offerings below. Please note that due to developments related to the coronavirus (COVID-19), summer events may be canceled. Our camps are under consistent review based on the COVID-19 situation and all state, federal, and CDC recommendations. We will attempt to contact all registered participants prior to the event should plans change.
For more information about summer programs at Walker’s, contact Todd D’Alessandro at tdalessandro@ethelwalker.org or 860-408-4312.
June 21-25, 2021 | 5:00-8:00 p.m.
For girls entering 4th-9th grades
Come join us as we learn and build on the game of field hockey. Over the course of the five-day session, participants will learn game fundamentals, stick handling, ball control and passing and shooting skills. Whether this is your first time picking up a stick or you’re a return player, you will come away with many valuable new skills to bring back to your team. Our staff have played field hockey at the Intercollegiate Division I, II, and III levels as well as the international level. They are skilled, fun, and energetic to work with.
June 29, June 30, July 1, 2021 | 9:00 a.m.
Unlock your basketball potential: A camp experience like no other including individualized instruction and an abundance of resources to assist with a student athlete’s development, evaluation, and much more. All of our day camps include our specialized training, Under Armour camp t-shirt, and basketball.
July 5-9, 2021 | 8:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m.
For girls entering grades 5-9
Walker’s Sport and Leadership Academy is for athletes who want to take their game to the next level and who aspire to have a leadership role on their team. The Academy offers girls a dual-focused learning environment that centers on their athletic and leadership development. Walker’s Sports and Leadership Academy is tailored to meet the specific sport and leadership training needs of its participants.
Athletically, girls will work on the technical and tactical sides of their game while also learning how proper warm-up and cool-down routines help with injury prevention and overall recovery. Other peak performance topics covered include: strength and performance, eating for peak performance, and mental skills training.
Walker’s Sports and Leadership Academy teaches athletes how to be effective self-leaders. Topics covered include: responsibility, accountability, and commitment.
July 12-16, 2021 | 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
For boys and girls ages 6-15
The Real Madrid Foundation Soccer Summer Camp is a unique and exciting opportunity to improve your soccer skills under the direction of UEFA-licensed coaches, have serious fun and make new friends. The soccer summer camp is available for boys and girls, ages 6-15, playing at all levels, from beginner to advanced. Players are evaluated on the first day and placed in reduced groups on age and ability what guarantees the quality of training sessions. Come and experience outstanding soccer summer training with us!
August 1-7, 2021 | 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
For girls ages 9-16
Make summer 2021 unforgettable and join us in New England at this all-girls basketball camp! Learn new drills, techniques, and tactics in north-central Connecticut from experienced college coaches that will help you prepare for the upcoming season. The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury offers a pristine environment for our young athletes, home to a brand new athletic center with air-conditioned gyms and dorm rooms.
August 15-18, 2021 | Day and overnight options available
For girls ages 5 and up
The Dodgers Field Hockey Camp provides athletes with an opportunity to experience valued interaction, both on the field and off, with coaches from top field hockey programs. Beyond practice sessions and scrimmage play, athletes will sharpen their mental approach to the game, improving how to balance the demands of being a dedicated athlete and student.
August 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 2021 | 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
For players entering 7th-12th grades
This program is designed for anyone in grades 7-12 looking to enhance their fitness goals for the start of their fall high school sports season. All fitness levels are welcome! This non-sport specific training consists of five three-hour days incorporating fitness drills to enhance endurance, speed, footwork, agility, full body strength training, core-based exercises, balance and flexibility. Join us while we work out and get ready for our upcoming fall season!
Monday, August 30-Thursday, September 2, 2021 | 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Open to girls in grades 7-12
Walker’s Assistant Athletic Director Mimi Duran and Assistant Director of Athletic Enhancement Michael Smith are running a preseason conditioning clinic for summer 2021, focusing on agility, endurance, and core skills. All ability levels are welcome – open to girls in grades seven through 12.
August 23-27, 2021 | 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Ages 8-12
Open the curtain, hit the lights – it’s showtime! In the morning session, Walker’s Director of Theater and two advanced senior acting students will guide participants through a series of improvisational exercises, beginning acting techniques, scene-writing, prop-making, and more! Learn to listen and respond instinctively to your scene partners, step out of your comfort zone during energizing theater games, and learn to problem-solve and take risks.
August 23-27, 2021 | 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Ages 13-18
Take your place at center stage! In the afternoon session, Walker’s Director of Theater and two advanced senior acting students will guide participants through a series of improvisational exercises, acting techniques rooted in the Meisner and Stanislavski methods, 10-minute playwriting, prop-making to inform character, and more! Learn to listen and respond instinctively to your scene partners, step out of your comfort zone during energizing theater games, make deliberate and interesting choices through monologues, and learn to problem-solve and take risks.
Join us throughout the summer for our Middle School Summer Workshop Series hosted by Walker’s faculty! Get to know our teachers in a casual setting, while learning about the topics at hand— those of which are integral to the curriculum taught in Walker’s Middle School. Sign up for one, some, or all of these free Zoom workshops. See you this summer!
The Ethel Walker School’s Summer Riding Experience is an extension of the School’s renowned equestrian program. The camp consists of daily riding sessions complemented with activities that include horse care, working with farriers and veterinarians, equine science, and general equestrian knowledge.
Horizons at The Ethel Walker School is the nation’s first all-girls Horizons program, serving under-served students in Pre-K through 7th grade who attend Hartford public schools. Horizons creates the conditions, connections, and community that enable every girl who attends to gain the skills, confidence, and motivation to overcome the opportunity gap and realize her potential.
We’re in this for the long term. When a girl enters the program in Pre-K, we make a ten-year commitment to prepare her to enter high school with the skills, knowledge, and determination she’ll need to graduate. Horizons at The Ethel Walker School builds brighter futures for girls from under-served families by creating year-round academic, artistic, and athletic opportunities, nurturing potential, and inspiring individual dreams in a safe and supportive community.
