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Putney History
How long has Putney been
offering programs?
George and Kitty Shumlin, the parents of Putney’s
present directors Peter and Jeff Shumlin, began
offering programs for secondary school students 58
years ago – in the summer of 1952. 2010 will be
Putney’s 59th summer. In the last few
years, Putney has enrolled the first students whose
grandparents attended a Putney program.
Where is Putney located?
Putney is located in the same renovated barn on a
dirt road in Putney, Vermont where Putney was
founded 59 years ago.
Is there any connection
with the Putney School?
Only that we are both located in Putney, Vermont!
Where can I get more
information?
For more details about our directors and some
entertaining pictures from the olden days, please
click here.
What makes Putney
different?
Here are some of the qualities that set Putney
apart:
-
59 Years
of Experience
2010 will be our 59th summer. Putney's
extraordinarily extensive track record in
delivering successful, safe, and fun programs
gives parents and participants confidence.
-
Personal
Attention
Putney is a small, family-run organization. We
enjoy getting to know participants and their
families on an individual basis. If you have
questions before or during a program, our
directors are easy to reach and eager to help.
-
Emphasis
on Group Dynamics
Every Putney program, whether it involves a
small or a large group, has as a central focus
the development of a positive and supportive
group dynamic. Through their active engagement
in the group, participants learn leadership
skills, take ownership of
their programs, and make life-long friends.
·
An Atmosphere of Structure
Putney participants spend most of their time in
structured activities that they are directly
involved in planning and implementing. This insures
that the group explores the interests and talents of
all participants, and works together to develop and
share new experiences. Basic rules ensure safety,
mutual trust, and respect within the group, and
these rules are enforced.
·
Outstanding Leadership
Putney leaders and instructors are fun, energetic,
creative, safety-conscious, and knowledgeable. They
love working with teenagers, and are attracted to
the opportunity to go beyond the superficial level
and to get to know each participant as a mentor and
a friend. Many staff are introduced in our catalog
and on our website - get to know them!
·
Innovative Programming
Since its earliest days, Putney has offered an
unusually diverse range of opportunities. These
include destinations seldom visited, and
interesting, uncommon activities in familiar
locations. We take pride in our careful, thorough
preparation and attention to detail.
-
Hands-on
Activities
There's nothing passive about a Putney program.
Whether in a village in India or at Amherst
College, participants are actively engaged.
Putney groups work with and learn from local
people. Participants have fun!
-
A Philosophy of Good Stewardship
Putney is committed to the communities that we visit
around the world. Because Putney programs emphasize
genuine cultural immersion, participants must earn
their welcome by always being mindful of the effect
they have on local ecology and society.
Program Size
How big are Putney’s programs?
Many of Putney’s programs, including all Community
Service, Global Awareness in Action, Language
Learning, and Cultural Exploration, are small
groups, limited to 16-18 students with 2 leaders –
one male, one female. Excel programs are larger,
ranging from 40 – 70 for international destinations
and 80 - 120 for the Amherst College sessions.
Putney Foundations has 30 – 45 students in each
unit.
Safety
You have some programs in some
unusual places. Are they safe?
Our primary concern is the safety of our students
and leaders. We do not offer programs in locations
we consider to be unsafe. We stay up-to-date on all
formal travel warnings. At least as importantly, in
each of our destinations we have many local contacts
whom we stay in touch with to be certain that we are
aware of any safety issues that may arise.
What precautions does Putney
take to insure that students are safe?
Putney’s programs are structured. Students don’t go
to another country and “hang out”. The great
majority of their time is spent in group activities
involving program leaders who are experienced
travelers, and who know the local area. The leaders
live with the students in the same accommodations.
A leader is present during all evening activities.
During brief periods of unstructured time during the
day, students are encouraged to do some exploring on
their own, but not by themselves.
Health Care
What happens if a student gets
sick?
Putney’s response to health issues depends on the
nature of the problem. Each of our leaders is
certified in Basic First Aid. They respond to minor
complaints – a short-term cough, upset stomach, or
blister. If a problem develops that requires
medical care, leaders contact Putney directly, and
we contact parents. The leaders take students to a
local clinic or doctor whom we have identified, and
referrals are made from that point as required in
response to the severity of the problem. For
programs in Africa and Asia, students are covered by
an emergency medical evacuation policy provided by
International SOS (www.internationalsos.com).
Is special health insurance
needed?
Students are required to have their own health
insurance. Most U.S. policies will cover treatment
in other countries if documentation of expenditures
is provided. Our leaders collect this
documentation, and we pass it along to parents.
Communication
How can students and parents
communicate during the summer?
While students on our Excel programs and our
Europe-based Language Learning programs generally
have easy access to phones and e-mail, many of our
Community Service and Global Action programs are
located in small, rural villages with few
communications options. Students on these programs
have periodic access to phones and/or e-mail when
they visit larger towns, generally on weekends.
Because of substantial time differences with the
U.S. on many programs, e-mail is the best way to
correspond. Program leaders will show students who
wish to make calls how to use stored-credit phone
cards that students can purchase in-country.
What if there’s an
emergency?
Putney maintains a 24/7 emergency phone line while
programs are in progress. After office hours, this
line rings in the homes of our directors. In the
event of an emergency, parents and leaders can
always reach us. Our leaders have cell phones so
that we can reach them if necessary.
Can students bring cell phones on
programs?
Cell phones, blackberries, and similar electronic
communication and entertainment devices are allowed
on Putney/Excel programs. However, creating a
tight-knit community within each group of students
and leaders is a central goal of every program.
These devices, by encouraging students to focus
outside the group, and by intruding on group
activities, seriously interfere with efforts to
develop a sense of community. In addition, students
must be tuned in to their immediate surroundings in
order to take advantage of opportunities for growth
and learning. For these reasons, students’ use of
electronic devices of all types is at the discretion
of the program leaders, and is generally prohibited
for most of each day.
How can parents stay up-to-date
on a particular program’s activities?
During the summer, Putney maintains a separate
on-line blog for each unit of each program. Parents
are provided with directions on how to access the
blog for their child’s program. Leaders update the
blogs periodically, generally about weekly, though
the itineraries of some programs may result in less
frequent updates. Checking the blog is a good way
to get a sense of program activities.
Rules
What expectations does
Putney have for students?
We expect Putney participants to maintain high
standards of personal behavior. Since they are
encouraged, within the structure of the programs, to
take leadership roles and to make some of their own
discoveries, students whose parents require them to
be under constant surveillance or who are likely to
act irresponsibly, use drugs, alcohol, or tobacco,
or behave in a disruptive or disrespectful manner,
should not apply. Students who violate our few
rules are subject to dismissal.
Are rules enforced?
We expect students to take the rules seriously, and
we enforce them. Unfortunately, a few students are
dismissed each summer.
Tuition
Are international flights
included in the program tuition?
The cost of international flights is not included in
the tuition. Putney has arranged for an escorted
international group flight and special group airfare
for all Community Service, Global Action, Language
Learning, Cultural Exploration, and Putney
Foundations programs. Each group flight departs
from/returns to a specific U.S. airport – generally
New York (JFK), Newark, Miami, Houston, or Los
Angeles. Parents are responsible for making
arrangements for participants to travel from home to
the U.S. gateway airport and return. All
participants must book the international group
flight through our office unless we receive
authorization from a parent for alternate
transportation to the international starting point
and from the international ending point of the
program. Note that all Global Action programs
(except Vermont) end in New Haven, CT.
Are there additional fees
or expenses?
Tuition fees for all Putney Student Travel do not
include transportation from the particular U.S.
departure city and return. Students are responsible
for personal expenses including telephone/e-mail,
laundry, souvenirs and similar items. Tuition for
Excel programs is also inclusive, except that the
programs in Oxford/Tuscany, Madrid/Barcelona, and
Paris/Provence include two meals per day. For
details on what Excel tuitions cover please go to
http://www.goputney.com/
Travel to/from
programs
Where do Putney programs
begin and end?
Putney programs begin and end at the airport of a
particular U.S. departure city (New York, Miami. Los
Angeles, or Houston depending on the program) expect
for the Global Awareness in Action programs that all
(except Vermont) begin and end at Yale University,
and the Excel Amherst College programs that begin
and end at that campus.
How do students connect with
their group?
We provide students and parents with detailed
information about where to meet up with their group
at the departure city airport. In our small group
programs (Community Service, Global Awareness in
Action, Language Learning, and Cultural Exploration)
one or both leaders accompany students on the flight
in both directions. For international Excel
programs and Putney Foundations, adult escorts from
Putney accompany the flights in both directions.
If there are problems
with connecting flights, what happens?
We set a meeting time at the departure city airport
that allows for plenty of extra time prior to the
flight’s actual departure. In addition to one or
both of the program leaders, Putney has a
representative at the departure airport to assist
with logistics. In the event of delays on
connecting flights, parents/students can contact
Putney on our 24/7 emergency line.
Friends
Do students usually come
with a friend?
On our small group programs (Community Service,
Global Awareness in Action, Language Learning, and
Cultural Exploration) our view is that the dynamic
of the group is best when few, if any, of the
students come with a friend. In this context, we
limit the number of pairs of acquaintances on these
programs, and do not allow any groups of three or
more. This insures that the great majority of
students on these programs are coming on their own.
We do not have this limitation on our larger group
programs (Excel, Putney Foundations) because of the
differences in the group dynamics of a larger
group. However, students typically don’t come to
these programs in large blocks from particular
schools or communities.
What if a student is
concerned about coming without a friend?
Creating a positive, supportive, interactive, fun
group dynamic is one of the most important goals of
every Putney program. From the first meeting
through the entire program, leaders and program
directors organize activities that foster a sense of
community, and intervene if special attention is
needed.
Financial Aid
Is scholarship
assistance available?
The Putney Open Door Fund has limited funds
available to help prospective applicants who cannot
afford Putney’s programs. Awards are limited to
families whose annual income is under $40,000/year
and who have few assets. For more details on the
Putney Open Door Fund, please see
http://www.goputney.com/
Additional
Information
Where is there more
information about Putney’s programs?
-
For most
programs we have a description that includes
more detail than is included in our catalog or
on our web site. If you would like to receive
one or more of these by e-mail, please call
Putney at 802-387-5000.
-
During January
and February each year, representatives from
Putney travel around the country making
presentations at the homes of alumni families.
For a complete list of these presentations,
please see our web site or call Putney at
802-387-5000.
-
Captioned slide
shows for each program are available on-line.
Please call us for directions on accessing
these.
-
If you would
like to speak to parents or students from alumni
families who have participated in last year’s
program to the destination you are interested
in, please call us and we will provide you with
contact information.
-
You can review
brief bios of each leader from last summer at
our web site. See
http://www.goputney.com/
Community Service
What kind of student
chooses a Community Service program?
Our Community Service programs are based in small,
rural communities in developing countries. Students
focus on community service work on weekdays, and
travel with the group to local areas of interest on
weekends. Students who participate in community
service programs need to be enthusiastic about
lending a hand (which often involves getting dirty
and sweaty!) and living in a community very
different from what they are used to at home.
Students who are energetic, open to new experiences,
and genuinely interested in helping do best on
community service programs. Students generally work
5 to 6 hours a day on weekdays.
How many students
are there on each community service unit?
There are 16 to 18 students on each unit. In
countries (like Costa Rica) where there are multiple
units, each is separate – different units never join
together during the course of the program.
What kind of service
work do students on Community Service programs do?
On most Community Service programs, students are
involved in a variety of projects. Generally there
is a small-scale construction project, for e.g.
building a classroom for a school, an addition to a
community building, an outdoor basketball court, a
section of a water or drainage system, or an
improved road. Students almost always work with
local young people, running an arts/sports day camp
for younger kids, or teaching English to kids,
teenagers or young adults. There are often
maintenance projects ranging from completely
repainting a community building, to clearing an
outdoor space for use as a soccer field, to
small-scale help provided to local elders or others
in particular need. Finally, since almost all of
the villages are agricultural, students often help
with local crops, build animal pens or small
greenhouses, or take part in an environmental
project like planting trees. Because Putney
responds to the particular needs identified by local
village leaders, the precise projects for each
summer generally aren’t determined until late
spring.
What if a student
just wants to work with kids?
All students on Community Service programs take part
in all of the projects that the group undertakes.
Students should expect to be involved in physical
labor as part of the experience.
Do students need to have special skills?
Students do not need to be skilled construction
workers to participate in Community Service
programs. What’s required is a willingness to get
involved, take initiative, be patient with the
occasional setback, and be flexible in responding to
challenges.
Do students have fun on
Community Service programs?
Yes! First, Putney leaders help students see that
all of their work can be fun. Work and fun don’t
have to be separate experiences. Mixing cement can
be a dance, not drudgery. Outside of service hours
during the week there is plenty of time for getting
to know people in the village, taking a short hike
to a waterfall/swimming hole, attending a local
fiesta or dance, playing soccer or basketball with
local people, taking photographs, playing music or
drumming with local teenagers, writing a journal,
and getting to know your new friends from the
group. On weekends the group travels together to
areas of interest in the region. Visit a cloud
forest, surf at a deserted beach, soak in volcanic
hot springs, cruise through a mangrove swamp in
search of alligators and scarlet macaws, talk with
monks at a Vietnamese pagoda, or ride a camel in the
Indian desert.
How many work hours can
a student expect to do on a program?
At the end of the program, leaders provide students
with a certificate indicating the hours of service
work they have done. This varies depending on the
actual activities of the group, but is generally
between 80 and 100 hours. Students must complete
the entire program successfully to receive a
certificate.
Do students in community
service groups live in home stays?
There are no home stays on Putney community service
programs. Students and leaders live together as a
group throughout the program.
Where do community service
groups live, and what do they eat?
Putney community service groups live in very simple
conditions – generally in sleeping bags on pads on
the floor of a local school or other community
building that is not in use. Sometimes our groups
rent one or two small, simple houses in the
village. There is separate space for boys and
girls, and basic bathroom facilities. Generally
there is running water, but in a few locations
students use an outhouse and learn to shower using a
bucket. Food is provided by one or two local people
who shop for food for the group and do the cooking.
Students, in small work teams, help out with this on
a rotating basis. The food is simple and nutritious
and emphasizes local products, e.g. beans, rice,
chicken, eggs, and fresh fruit in Central America
and the Caribbean, rice, noodles, chicken, seafood,
and fresh vegetables in Vietnam. Students (and
leaders) who are vegetarians participate in our
programs every summer. While the local cooks make
an effort to accommodate American tastes, students
whose diet is limited to a few familiar items have
to make an effort to try some new things!
Who are the leaders?
Each community service program has two leaders, one
male, one female. They are college graduates,
generally in their 20’s. We choose leaders who are
fun, energetic, creative, safety-conscious, and
experienced in the region where the program is
located. At least one of the leaders speaks the
local language. Often, both do. A significant
number of leaders return from year to year, though
returning leaders often don’t lead the same program
again. They may lead Costa Rica one year, and
Ecuador the next, or Senegal and then Ghana, etc.
For detailed information about last summer’s
community service leaders, see
http://www.goputney.com/
Global
Awareness in Action
What’s the difference
between Global Action and Community Service
programs?
Putney created the Global Action programs for
students who want to focus their interest in
developing countries on a particular set of
challenges that a single country faces – health care
and HIV/AIDS prevention in Malawi, grass-roots
community development in El Salvador, children’s
issues in Cambodia, green agriculture and energy in
Vermont, etc. Student explore the issue in detail
by talking with local NGO workers, participating in
service projects, doing independent research, and
discussing their observations with the program
leaders and with other members of their group.
While hands-on service work is a part of the
experience, it is not the central component of the
program as it is in community service programs.
Global Action programs (except Vermont) end a Yale
University with discussion and presentation sessions
involving all Global Action program participants.
How many students
participate in each Global Action program?
There are 16 students and two leaders on each
program.
What kind of student
chooses a Global Action program?
Global Action participants have a strong interest in
the topic that is the focus of one of the programs.
They want to explore this topic in-depth and they
understand that getting actively involved is the
best way to do so. They also enjoy the opportunity
to sharpen their understanding through extended
discussion, and by putting together a group
presentation for the Yale University segment at the
end of the program. They are committed to staying
involved in continuing efforts to understand
problems and find solutions.
Do students have fun on Global
Action programs?
While the subject matter of these programs is
serious, students have fun interacting with the
people they meet both in formal discussions and in
informal settings at a meal, festival, or dance, or
on a soccer field or basketball court. Recreational
activities aren’t a focus, but there are
opportunities to go for a hike, swim, or ride a
bike, explore a temple or palace, visit an
extraordinary market, play guitar or drums with
local people, or drink tea and visit with a huge
extended family in a simple village home.
How many work hours can a
student expect to do on a Global Action program?
At the end of the program, leaders provide students
with a certificate indicating the hours of service
work they have done. This varies depending on the
actual activities of the group, but is generally
between 20 and 40 hours. Students must complete the
entire program successfully to receive a
certificate.
Where do Global Action
students live, and what do they eat?
Students live in campus dorms at Yale at the end of
the program, and very simple guest houses or
accommodations similar to those in
community service programs while in-country.
Meals are provided as in the
community service programs.
Who are the leaders?
Global Action leaders have all the qualities of
other Putney leaders. In addition, they have a
background in the focus issue of the program. For
detailed information about last summer’s Global
Action leaders, see
http://www.goputney.com/
Language Learning/Cultural Exploration (LL/CE)
How many students are on
each unit of LL/CE programs?
Each LL/CE program has 16 to 18 participants and two
leaders.
Where do students on LL/CE
programs stay, and what do they eat?
Students stay in small, family-owned hotels, guest
houses, university dormitories, and small hostels,
and supplement restaurant food with frequent picnic
meals. LL programs in Costa Rica have
accommodations and food identical to
Community Service programs.
Are there home stays on
LL/CE programs?
All language learning programs include a one week
home stay with a local family. Placements are
carefully arranged by an on-site coordinator who
knows the community well. Generally only one
student is placed with each family in LL programs in
order to maximize language immersion. CE programs
in Australia/New Zealand, and in Europe also include
week-long home stays. This provides an excellent
opportunity to become fully engaged in another
culture. During all home stays, the program leaders
stay in the community where the home stays are
located and are available to the students to work
through any difficulties they may encounter. Our
experience in over 50 years of home stays is that
they cause anxiety in advance, but that students
often pick them out as the high light of their
experience.
The LL programs in Costa
Rica and Argentina include community service:
How does that work?
LL programs in Costa Rica and Argentina are based in
locations identical to those of the regular Costa
Rica and Argentina Community Service programs –
small, rural villages, and students work on service
projects throughout the program. The differences
with the regular programs are that the students
agree to speak only Spanish, language learning is
one of the specific goals of the program, and
students have a week-long home stay with a village
family. During the home stay they rejoin the group
each day to continue with service projects.
Who are the leaders?
LL/CE leaders have all the qualities of other Putney
leaders (see
Community Service Leader description). In
addition, LL leaders are fluent in the target
language, Theatre in Britain leaders are experienced
actors/directors, and Creative Writing in India are
published writers. For detailed information about
last summer’s CE/LL leaders, see
http://www.goputney.com/
Excel
Each Excel program has a separate set of FAQs:
Excel at Amherst College
Excel China
Excel Madrid/Barcelona
Excel Oxford/Tuscany
Excel Paris/Provence
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