Commitment to Sustainability

Our Commitment to Sustainability

At Putney Student Travel, we encourage our students to be travelers, not tourists—to be global stewards and global citizens—yet we acknowledge that the act of traveling causes significant waste: items we discard in-country, pollution from international flights, and contributing to waste in regions where infrastructure is limited. Here are the first steps we’ve taken to mitigate these impacts.

Waste Awareness & Reduction

Last year we embarked on a Barn project to cultivate an organization-wide awareness of our waste stream. We implemented a composting system and e-waste recycling project at the Putney Barn, which reduced our landfill waste by 75%. As an extension of this project, we designed curriculum that encourages our leaders and students to minimize waste and raise awareness of our impact as travelers.

Carbon Offsets for Air Travel

This year, Putney is investing in a carbon offset program to cover greenhouse gas emissions from all student and leader group flights. We are working directly with Vermont-based NativeEnergy to identify and invest in community-scale and sustainable projects that would not otherwise be realized. This year’s offset contributions will help fund a wind energy installation project in India.

Putney has truly lit a passion inside of me that cannot be extinguished.

— Connor M., Princeton Day School, Princeton, NJ

service

Community Engagement & Global Awareness

Collaborate on service projects and connect meaningfully with people of different cultures. Deepen your understanding and awareness of issues affecting communities around the world.

Contribute to important initiatives planned in partnership with communities and trusted contacts. Pour cement to replace dirt floors, restore a water storage and irrigation system, or lay a foundation for a community kitchen—in Nepal, the Dominican Republic, India, Fiji, and more.

Design your own independent project to engage in local life. Immerse yourself in the life of your host community and learn how service work can be fun and educational. Receive a certificate for the number of service hours you complete.

She gained a greater appreciation of the world at large and what it means to serve.

– Lisa & Brad Saunders, Blue Bell, PA

Also available for Middle School

See pages 57–59