Putney Student Travel

Summer Programs
Putney, Vermont


		Program Description Program Overview Visit Web Site Get Free Info See Photos

For More Information, Contact
Jeffrey Shumlin, Admissions Director
Putney Student Travel
345 Hickory Ridge Road
Putney, Vermont 05346
802-387-5000
Fax: 802-387-4276
http://www.goputney.com

Type of Program: Community service, global action, language learning, cultural exploration, foundations, and campus-based precollege enrichment (Excel). For more details regarding the Excel programs, students should see the separate listing in this section.
Participants: Coeducational, students completing grades 7–12
Enrollment: 16–18 per group except Excel programs, which range from 50 to 150
Program Dates: Programs of three to seven weeks in June, July, and August
Heads of Program: Jeffrey and Peter Shumlin, Directors

Location

Putney Student Travel offers Community Service programs in Alaska, Bali, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Hawaii, India, Nicaragua, and Tanzania. Global Awareness in Action programs begin and end at Yale University, with separate units offered in Cambodia, India, Madagascar, Malawi, El Salvador, and the U.S. Gulf Coast. Language Learning programs are offered in Argentina, Costa Rica, France, and Spain. Cultural Exploration programs visit Australia/New Zealand and Europe. Foundations is a three-week program based in Costa Rica specifically designed for students finishing the seventh and eighth grades. Excel campus-based programs are held at Amherst College, Madrid/Barcelona, Oxford/Tuscany, Paris/Provence, and China. Putney Student Travel’s year-round home is a converted barn surrounded by the hills and forests of Putney, Vermont.

Background and Philosophy

Putney Student Travel was founded in 1952 by George and Kitty Shumlin, devoted educators and parents of the present Directors, Peter and Jeffrey Shumlin. Over the course of five decades, the mission has remained unchanged—to enable young people to learn firsthand about the lives and cultures of people in the United States and other nations, to establish communication and friendship with them, to learn other languages, to pursue academic interests in an active and fun environment, to give of themselves, and, through these experiences, to enhance their confidence, skills, perspectives, and values.
Putney Student Travel programs are special. They emphasize doing, having fun, getting off the beaten track, making friends, and being involved with people rather than just touring, sightseeing, or studying. Participants are encouraged to take responsibility and to help develop group spirit. All programs are designed for motivated, inquisitive students who are mature and responsible. Admission is selective.

Program Offerings

Community Service Programs: Students in these programs give of themselves to people in need. They spend four weeks living as a group in small, rural communities, where they join local people to work on small-scale construction projects, teach local children, and help villagers with maintenance, farming, and environmental projects. Each group of 16 students and 2 leaders has the opportunity to provide useful help to communities in need and to understand another culture at a level far beyond what tourists or short-term visitors experience. On weekends, there is time to relax at the beach, take wilderness and cultural excursions, and join in community life. One need not be a skilled laborer to apply. Students must possess sensitivity toward others, a sense of humor and adventure, and a desire to work hard and to make the most of simple living conditions.
Global Awareness in Action Programs: War and terrorism dominate the headlines, but the long-term issues of lagging economic development, environmental degradation, erosion of traditional community structures, and inadequate resources for health care and children’s services underlie today’s crises and demand attention. One of the greatest challenges for the next generation of world leaders and decision makers is to devise workable strategies for improving conditions in the developing world. Global Action programs begin and end with three-day group forums at Yale University. For three weeks, participants pursue research and service in relation to a particular subject focus while on location in Cambodia, India, Madagascar, Malawi, El Salvador, or the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Language Learning Programs: The Putney way of learning a language emphasizes having fun in Argentina, Costa Rica, France, or Spain while speaking French or Spanish in natural, everyday living situations. Over the past half century, Putney has learned that sitting passively in a classroom with other Americans does not enhance language learning. Putney’s dramatic oral/conversational exercises and games are combined with carefully planned itineraries that allow students to immerse themselves in the local life and culture, encouraging students to discard their inhibitions and speak freely. The atmosphere in each language group is noncompetitive. These four- to six-week programs explore cultural sites in cities and out-of-the-way regions of Argentina, Costa Rica, France, and Spain and engage students in short-term internships in rural areas and in recreational activities, including hiking and skiing. Each program includes a one-week, carefully selected homestay.
Cultural Exploration Programs: These programs either follow travel-based itineraries or focus on intensive, hands-on involvement in arts-related activities. Participants in travel-based programs learn about the countries they visit by joining in local life rather than touring as part of an isolated group of Americans. Each program includes a series of extended stays, avoiding hectic short hops, and brings students into close contact with local people while exploring history, traditions, the physical environment, and contemporary life. Arts-based programs encourage students with a special interest in creative writing or theater to expand and develop their skills and to engage their creativity through daily activities.
Foundations: The Foundations program is designed for creative, energetic, and engaged seventh and eighth grade students who want to transition from a traditional camp setting into a program that incorporates elements of Putney’s exciting, educational offerings for older students around the world. Using a beautiful, beachside village in Costa Rica as a base, students participate in activities including Spanish language learning, community service, environmental studies, and recreation.
Excel at Amherst College, Oxford/Tuscany, Madrid/Barcelona, Paris/Provence, and China: These three-, four-, and seven-week programs provide students with an experience that is very different from traditional summer school. In small, seminar-style classes without the pressure of grades, students interact with outstanding instructors and motivated peers, participate in hands-on activities, and incorporate local resources in their learning. Interested students should see the separate listing for the Excel program.

Enrollment

Putney groups (other than Excel and Foundations) are generally limited to 16 to 18 students. Students completing grades 7 and 8 are eligible for the Foundations program. Students completing grade 8 are eligible for some Language Learning programs. Students completing grades 9–12 are eligible for most other programs, though a few are limited to students completing grades 10–12.

Facilities

Putney accommodations are simple but comfortable and safe. In the Language Learning and Cultural Exploration programs, students stay in small inns and chalets and at student centers, where they have a chance to make friends with young people from other countries. Putney trips do not involve camping, unless specified in the brochure. Meals are taken in small restaurants, inns, and residences. On Community Service and Global Action projects, students live in small, rural villages in a school or other community building that is not in use during the summer. There are separate spaces for boys and girls and simple bathroom facilities. Helpers from the community take primary responsibility for meals, but students assist with preparation and cleanup.

Staff

Putney Student Travel leaders are selected on the basis of their maturity, enthusiasm, patience, judgment, and ability to win the trust and respect of participants. Many are graduate students or instructors who have lived, studied, and traveled abroad and who speak foreign languages. Leaders are given extensive preparation and training in Putney before departure. Brief bios of each of Putney’s leaders from 2007 are available on the Web site at http://www.goputney.com/about/bios/allPST.htm.

Costs

Tuition fees of $4000 to $9000, depending upon the program, cover all regular expenses, including meals, accommodations, excursions, and entertainment. Most tuition fees also include round-trip airfare from New York, Miami, or Los Angeles, depending on the destination. There are no hidden expenses. A $700 deposit must be submitted with the application; this fee is credited to the total tuition fee and is refunded in full if the application is not accepted.

Transportation

Putney groups travel by air, train, bus, boat, and bicycle and on foot.

Application Timetable

In forming each group, attention is given to the age and school year of applicants. Applications are carefully considered by the Admissions Committee, and participants are selected on the basis of their readiness for the Putney experience. Each year, Putney receives more applications than it is able to accept, so early application is encouraged. Admission is on a rolling basis.