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"I love Garrison Forest School because of all the experiences and opportunities it has to offer, including a wonderful community of teachers, faculty and Residential Life who I can truly depend on. GFS gives students the resources to go beyond the classroom and explore the real world and take on new challenges. I think GFS gives girls a voice and allows them to use it outside of the community to share their ideas and advocate for themselves and others."

The GFS Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program, established in 2005 as a groundbreaking partnership between Garrison Forest and Johns Hopkins University, connects Juniors and Seniors with an opportunity to gain real-world experience and build important skillsets. WISE is much more than working on world-class research projects; it brings students out of the classroom and into the lab, providing an opportunity to dive into passions for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and develop skills that will serve them well beyond their high school experience.

WISE participants conduct important research side-by-side with Hopkins professors and graduate students for two afternoons a week. It’s a customized experience that guides students through all aspects of assisting in a research lab, giving them the opportunity to learn at a level normally reserved for graduate school. Their lab placements span the spectrum from biomedical engineering to chemistry to Earth and Planetary Sciences.

While the hands-on research aspect of WISE is what initially draws in many students, what they take away goes beyond pipettes and an impressive addition to their resume. They gain important college readiness skills like independence, responsibility and confidence to pursue what interests them.

“Unlike many high school research opportunities, WISE is a cohort experience,” said Andrea Perry, Director of the James Center and Dean of Special Programs. “WISE students travel to Johns Hopkins University together and rejoin each other at the end of their afternoons. They are able to encourage each other and share their learning. This group dimension helps expand and reinforce other parts of what students take away from WISE: becoming at ease in navigating a large, diverse research university; understanding the habits of mind that need to be cultivated to be successful in research, including perseverance and learning from failure; and experiencing the curiosity and spirit of collaboration that researchers bring to their efforts. WISE is a lab for life as much as it is for STEM.”

"I love being a student at GFS because of the community. I was so excited to start high school specifically at Garrison. I felt immediately welcomed and supported here, and I am so excited for the next three years of Upper School. I think GFS helps prepare students for life after Upper School because of the way they encourage confidence, and grow leadership.  As we continue to develop into women, we will be capable of so much because we have that base and trust in ourselves."

Head of Early Childhood Education Sandi Uehlinger wants every child and family to feel the magic that defines the experience for our youngest Grizzlies. "At Garrison, we believe that a child's learning environment should feel like an extension of home, where joy and wonder can be found around every corner, and faculty and family serve as guides to the sensory-rich world in which we live and learn," she says.

From as early as six weeks through our PreKindergarten program, boys and girls can count on a few things: strong foundations in literacy and math, a warm and caring environment, and a joyful approach to each day.

"Learning doesn't just happen within our classrooms, but outside, on our larger campus and out in our larger community," Ms. Uehlinger says. "We believe in hands-on, playful, joyful, cooperative learning that promotes respectful and engaging interaction that builds the foundation for lifelong scholarly endeavors and strengthens the bond between students, faculty, families, and the larger community, even for our littlest learners."

There are many ways to express yourself here, and the GFS Dance program is one outlet that calls to many students. Whether you're a first-time performer or have years of training, there's a space on the stage for you. Under the direction of the accomplished, compassionate, and passionate Director of Dance Heather Malone-Wolf, dancers find a supportive place to grow their craft. Known affectionately by students as "Ms. Heather," she is more than an instructor or a coach; she becomes a mentor and constant cheerleader for her students. 

"Even if a student doesn’t go on to dance, they will leave here with an appreciation for the performing arts," Ms. Heather says. "I want girls to understand that they can pursue their passions and their academics at Garrison Forest.”

Beginning in the Lower School with a Physical Education rotation that includes dance along with riding and polo, dance opportunities include classes in the Middle School, audition-only troupes in Middle and Upper School, and student-run clubs that allow students to explore their love of dance even further. Dancers perform several times throughout the year, including a spring show each year. Students often step up as choreographers--and even sometimes return to help choreograph or manage shows. 

GFS is home to a chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, which celebrates the artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievements of exceptional dance students, and several students have gone on to pursue dance in college. 

Among the many opportunities you can take advantage of at Garrison Forest, our riding and polo programs are two of the most impactful. Riders and polo players regularly refer to their teammates and fellow equestrians as family, which is emphasized by the set-up of our facilities. Housed together are two separate barns, a polo arena, indoor and outdoor riding rings, and plenty of pastures for grazing. 

Whether they are new to the sports or members of our Varsity Polo or Equestrian Institute, our riders and polo players relish the opportunity to spend lots of quality time at the barn, with their horses, as part of their normal school day. Weekends bring competitors from all over to campus--or our teams hit the road to compete with some of the best riders and polo players in the country. 

Riding and polo can instill many important values--teamwork, patience, responsibility, resilience--but one of the biggest benefits is the close-knit group that you'll find when you join these communities: it's one big family.