Center for Public Purpose

• Community Engagement Student Board: Student-elected board members lead the charge in shaping the Upper School's service landscape, thoughtfully evaluating and approving service opportunities and clubs, spearheading school-wide initiatives, and creating mentorship opportunities with younger GA students.
• Service Clubs: From the Red Cross Club that plans our annual Blood Drive to the Gifts on Wheels Club that makes seasonal goodie bags for Meals on Wheels clients, empathy shines through our student-led clubs. As an alternative to one trimester of PE, students may commit to regular volunteering, including assisting at the Cowan Center or in the MS homework hall.
• Filling in the Blanks: Each Group IX advisory spends a morning learning about Filling in the Blanks’ mission to address childhood hunger and then pack food for local students who receive free or reduced-price meals at school to help ensure they are nourished during the weekend.
• Meals on Wheels: US girls have the opportunity to make weekly deliveries of nutritious food to Meals on Wheels clients. Volunteers not only bring nourishment but also provide critical personal contact to a population that is often isolated.
• Coffee for Good: Coffee for Good has ignited both minds and hearts, empowering students to launch their own GAtor Blend—from concept to market—and fostering profound connections through volunteering alongside inspiring adults with disabilities. This program has transformed learning into a hands-on experience.
• Breakfast in the City: Twice a year, Upper School students serve a pop-up breakfast to unhoused men and women in NYC in partnership with Midnight Run. This is more than a relief mission, where shared moments of connection transcend the simple act of providing food.
• Greenleaf Grants: Established by GA alumnae in 2000, The Greenleaf Foundation was the FIRST student run foundation in the state of CT! For 25e years, this program has empowered GA girls by accepting and awarding grants for their innovative summer community engagement projects. Learn more.

• Civic Scholars: In Group X, students are invited to participate in a three-year, interdisciplinary program which allows them to earn an academic distinction upon successful completion of 60 impact hours with a community based institution.
• Institute for Public Purpose: The IPP program is a transformative experience that cultivates engaged and informed citizens. Through a preparatory course and a week-long immersion in Washington, D.C., Group X students explore the intricacies of government, interact with policy makers, and contribute to the community, fostering a deep understanding of participatory democracy.
• Service Learning: The Upper School puts character into action by connecting the classroom to the community. A great example of this is when Honors Civil Rights students’ use the GA teaching kitchen to make a dinner for Pacific House, which they also deliver and serve.
• The First Selectman's Youth Commission: Each year, GA students become members of the Council and operationalize some of the Council's projects or service efforts within the GA community.
• Ms. President: This program empowers and prepares girls to pursue high-level civic leadership, fostering their potential and enhancing their skills and understanding. US students organize the program, invite MS participants, and provide valuable mentorship.
• Model Congress: Model Congress is a great experience for students interested in government. In this exciting simulation, students assume roles of Representative, Senator, or other officials, and practice public speaking, researching and debating topics of national importance.
• CliftonStrengths Assessment: Group XI students complete this online assessment and meet one-on-one with Connie Blunden, a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, to analyze their results and develop a strategic approach to leverage their unique strengths.
• Voter Registration: Each fall, a group of students organize registration drives and promote voter turnout.

GA cultivates socially responsible global citizens, with the skills to navigate and lead in an increasingly interconnected world.

• Global Scholars: Designed to cultivate essential 21st century skills, the Global Scholars program fosters mastery in problem-solving, communication, analysis, collaboration, adaptability, and technology. Through a comprehensive three-year, multidisciplinary curriculum, participants earn a distinguished academic recognition, signifying their preparedness to engage in the global community.
• Semester Schools & Exchanges: GA offers a spectrum of global learning experiences. Students can engage in cultural immersion through month-long international exchanges in countries like France and Argentina to semester-long study abroad with Semester Schools like St. Stephen’s in Rome and School Year Abroad. Domestic options like the Mountain School also provide unique educational pathways.
• Global Online Academy: GOA is a selective network of independent schools across the globe that sponsor virtual classes including Game Theory, Introduction to Legal Thinking, Medical Problem Solving, and Poetry Writing, and connect students with other like-minded peers around the world.
• Australia Student Leadership Conference: Designed to cultivate the next generation of female leaders, the ASLC offers an intensive three-day residential experience. Selected students will engage in tailored workshops to explore leadership challenges, deepen self-awareness, strengthen leadership capabilities, and build a powerful international network.
• Model United Nations: Model UN cultivates essential skills in public speaking, research, and diplomacy by immersing students in realistic simulations of UN General Assembly proceedings, where they represent nations as ambassadors.
• GEBG Student Dialogue Programs: Social progress demands problem-solving through communication and collaboration. GEBG student dialogues demonstrate that complex issues have multiple solutions, fostered by open intercultural communication and shared perspectives.