57 years ago, when our parents, George and Kitty Shumlin, planned the first Putney summer program, they never anticipated that over half a century later their dream would result in more than 1300 students being challenged each summer in over 50 programs around the world. Today. George and Kitty still make a daily stop by the converted cow barn that has served as our headquarters all these years, to say hello to the extraordinary directors and staff that make Putney tick.

If your family is anything like the Shumlin family, you may have observed that parents can be counted on to give both the greatest support, and the most telling criticism. George and Kitty have given us healthy doses of both over the years since we took over the directorship of Putney from them over 20 years ago. When George (now in his 80s) stopped by the Barn recently to review the 2008 brochure, he made an interesting observation. He said "When the first Putney trip to Europe steamed out of New York Harbor on a student ship 57 years ago with your mother and me as the leaders, the notion of high school students traveling to Europe for a summer program was quite radical. If someone had told us then that the same organization would be directed by two of our sons over half a century later and have high school students exploring the AIDS crisis in Malawi, South Africa or Rwanda, children's issues in Cambodia, building houses for poor peasants in Vietnam, undertaking community service in Senegal, or studying culture, history, economics and language in China and India, we would have thought you were pulling our legs. The fact that you continue to challenge students to grow through cutting-edge programs that are unlike anything else available, makes us extraordinarily proud of the organization that we gave so much of our hearts and souls to."

Putney programs are special.  They emphasize cultural immersion, learning by doing, having fun, getting off the beaten track, making friends, and giving something of yourself to others – rather than touring or sightseeing.

In 2008, Putney offers six categories of programs: Community Service, Global Awareness in Action, Language Learning, Cultural Exploration, Excel pre-college Enrichment, and Putney Foundations for 7th and 8th graders.  This website provides only an outline of the actual group experience. What makes our work so rewarding are the letters and reports from our alumni saying that their summer with Putney was “the best summer of my life.”  Many parents describe their child’s growth as “far exceeding the effects of a year at school.”  The maturity, self-confidence, and sensitivity towards others that most participants develop are derived from close friendships, personal discovery, and the tremendous satisfaction of conquering new challenges.

We approach our 57^th summer with both gratitude and excitement. The gratitude goes to our loyal alumni, alumni parents, and program leaders and teachers who have contributed so much to the development of the unique programs we call ‘Putney’ and ‘Excel’. The excitement is in looking forward to another summer of life-changing experiences.

We hope that you will give us a call if you have questions. We would love to hear from you and welcome you into the Putney family.

Fondly,

Peter Shumlin and Jeffrey Shumlin, Directors