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Uniquely Walker’s Overview

Everything at Walker’s is designed for girls.

In 1911, Ethel Walker founded a school that was unlike any other of its time.

When most schools for girls focused on educating women on a path toward marriage, Ethel’s vision was for a college preparatory school for girls with a liberal arts curriculum. Since its earliest days, Walker’s graduates have gone on to study at prestigious colleges and universities on a path to fulfilling careers across all sectors.

Since its founding, Walker’s has flourished with small class sizes and dedicated faculty who guide students to use their voices and direct their own learning. The Walker’s community embraces each girl as she is and for her unique qualities, interests, and ideas, bonding a diverse student body into a sisterhood that cheers and champions every individual and her success.

At Walker’s, girls in grades six through 12 can be themselves, discover their true passions and purpose, and achieve their best performance in every aspect of life.

Uniquely Walker’s

Signature Courses

Crowd-sourcing antibiotic discovery, collaborating with published authors, leading discussions on social justice and identity, and exploring veterinary science are just some examples of Walker’s signature courses in which students engage in experiential learning both on campus and in the community.

Community Partnerships

Whether you’re preparing taxes for low income families or advocating for women and girls through legislation, our community partnerships with local non-profits allow Walker’s students to gain important skills, such as learning about personal finance or government, while giving back and making meaningful connections.

Capabilities approach program

What can schools do to support girls to fulfill their great promise and potential? At Walker’s, we have reimagined girls’ education. With the support of a prestigious Edward E. Ford Foundation Educational Leadership Grant, Walker’s Capabilities Approach Program seeks to disrupt the gendered mindset into which girls are socialized.

All-Girls Middle School

Since its founding in 1990, The Ethel Walker Middle School has been a special place for bright and curious girls. The only independent all-girls middle school in central Connecticut, Walker’s Middle School offers a day program for girls in grades six through eight along with a boarding program for girls in grades seven and eight and daily bus service from Greater Hartford.

Empowered Girls

The All Girls Advantage

The world needs more women in leadership positions who can help to shape a more just, equitable and sustainable world. At Walker’s, help girls achieve their personal best as scholars, athletes, artists, leaders, and agents of change. Here, all of our leadership positions are held by girls, which means students are empowered to take risks, try new things, and forge their own paths.

Walker’s Traditions

Will you be a Sun or a Dial? It’s a common question that all new members of the Walker’s community hear. Treasured traditions handed down from generation to generation are a cornerstone of Walker’s history and the student experience … many originating with Ethel Walker herself! Annual celebrations of Walker’s traditions bring the community together seamlessly blending “new girls” into community life. Participating in these traditions deepens the meaning of being here, creates lifelong relationships with alumnae and builds a connection to the school.

Dogswood Day Middle School
Mountain Day
Ba-Na-Na
Holiday Ride
Drop Everything And Read
Family Weekend
Grandparents' and Friends' Day
Dogswood Day

Each spring, Dogswood Day festivities kick off with a procession by the seniors and a Maypole dance followed by field day competitions between the Suns and the Dials. The community raises the winning team’s spirit flag, which will fly proudly until the next spring.

Mountain Day

Each fall, the entire school celebrates the start of the new school year by hiking together to the summit of Talcott Mountain followed by a picnic lunch on the Centennial Lawn.

Ba-Na-Na

Ba-Na-Na is — simply — a dance party! Typically held during Opening Days and Reunion, the Ba-Na-Na is a chance to dress in spirit colors, dance, and have fun with friends.

Holiday Ride

Following holiday vespers and banquet, students, their families and alumnae gather at the barn for hot chocolate to watch equestrians illuminate the evening while enjoying seasonal music by our a capella group, the Grapes.

Drop Everything And Read

Drop Everything And Read (D.E.A.R.) Milk Lunch is an opportunity to take a break from our lives and read for pleasure. Each week, students and advisors gather for an hour and read together while enjoying milk and a sweet treat.

Family Weekend

Each autumn, families are invited to campus to attend classes with their student, meet teachers, cheer for athletic teams, and spend time getting to know other Walker’s families.

Grandparents’ and Friends’ Day

During the spring, grandparents and other special guests are invited to campus to enjoy a day with their Walker’s student, attending classes, exploring campus, and enjoying breakfast, lunch, and co-curriculars.