Who We Are

WHAT’S INSIDE?

2 Who We Are

4 Why Putney?

6 Our Leaders

8 Career Programs

11 Service Programs

12 Language Programs

15 Exploration Programs

16 Pre-College Programs

19 Oxford Academia

20 Harvard Youth Summit

23 Smithsonian Student Travel

24 Columbia Climate School

24 Scholarships

BE ON THE LOOKOUT!

Scan the QR codes throughout to learn more about our programs, find dates, and read itineraries.

@putneystudenttravel

goputney.com | 802.387.5000

Welcome to Putney’s 72nd season!

Over the course of seven decades, we feel the importance of our core mission—to change students’ lives—has grown significantly. When our parents (and Olivia and Becca’s grandparents) led that first group of 18 high school students by ship to Europe, in a world still reeling from the aftershock of World War II, they sought to usher them out of their comfort zones and teach them to embrace what is new and different. They strived to develop thoughtful and well-rounded young leaders through experiential, intellectual, emotional, and cultural engagement, while keeping them safe.

As we prepare for our 72nd summer as a family-run organization, empowering students to be leaders is more important than ever. Young people live with a set of unprecedented challenges: social isolation from a pandemic, growing inequity, division, and a warming planet, not to mention the stresses brought on by social media and the high-stakes pressure of getting into a big-name college. The result is a generation of lovable kids who are more stressed and anxious than ever before.

Summers with Putney help to overcome these pressures by inviting participants to embrace new friends, cultures, and experiences through innovative programs that foster maturity, self-confidence, intellectual stimulation, and personal discovery. We help empower students to take charge of their futures by inspiring them to lead in today’s world. Our alumni and parents repeatedly describe their Putney experiences as priceless and life-changing. After these challenging years, one parent said her

student’s trip helped her “fall in love with the world again. The trip realigned her inner compass, giving her more confidence and greater awareness and appreciation of the outer world.”

That outcome is the best part of the work we do with our creative colleagues here at headquarters in the Putney Barn in Vermont. Ultimately, it is that learning, growth, and light that all parents seek for their kids before they head off to blaze impressive paths for themselves in college and beyond. It’s what we at Putney work year after year to create and deliver.

In an era where educational summer programs are increasingly owned by venture capital firms, we are proud to be in our third generation of family leadership. It’s exciting to have our founders’ granddaughters deeply engaged in our important work, with a great-grandson recently joining us, too. We hope you’ll join us next summer, and encourage you to call us so we can help you find the perfect program for your student.

We hope you will choose to apply! Jeff, Peter, Olivia, & Becca Shumlin

Jeff, becca, max, olivia, peter, kitty