2023 Putney Student Travel

Welcome to Putney’s 72 nd 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

WHO WE ARE

Over the years, Putney students have traveled to hundreds of destinations, immersed themselves in cultures and communities around the globe, and found their lives changed by these experiences. The resulting memories, photographs, and extraordinary pursuits are a testament to Putney’s seven decades of quality summer programs in the U.S. and abroad.

Today, our team includes educators, linguists, world travelers, a former ship captain, a governor, a doula, Fulbright fellows, yoga teachers, photographers, artists, parents, a capuchin monkey researcher, and much more.

When you call to inquire about Putney Student Travel programs, you will speak with one of our colleagues (pictured on the right) at our headquarters in southern Vermont, a former cow barn that was converted to an office in 1999.

We encourage you to give us a call so that we can ensure you find the perfect summer experience for your student. And if you happen to be passing through, feel free to stop by!

Top to bottom: Kitty and George Shumlin, founders of Putney Student Travel (1951); Putney’s first program in Africa explores Tanzania and summits Mt. Kilimanjaro (1968); The first trip departs by steamship for Switzerland, Italy, France, and Holland led by George and Kitty. That same program runs today! (1951)

Left to right: Becca Shumlin, Julian Hartmann-Russell, Hannah Pittman, Sylvie Littledale, Hannah Gilkenson, Kiki Baxter, Jeff Shumlin, Katie Bourque, Patrick Noyes, Kevin Weidner, Olivia Shumlin, Pete Shumlin, Portia Watson, Renee Crispe, Maggie Patari, Mackenzie Grapes, Rebekah Willey, Andrew Manzella, Evan Overton, Mike Oster, Felicia Tempesta

why putney?

72 Years of Experience

We’re not new at this. Our exceptional safety record gives parents comfort and reflects decades of institutional knowledge and expertise in risk management, supporting young travelers, fostering meaningful connections, and delivering high-quality programming.

Lasting Benefits

Our programs instill confidence, maturity, and passion for cultures and ideas that are new to students—benefits that extend far beyond summer. These experiences often serve as springboards for students to develop lifelong interests.

Excellent Group Dynamics

Our leaders facilitate a positive group dynamic and build a community where everyone is included, celebrated, and invited to participate. Putney students return home with increased maturity, lasting friendships, and broadened perspectives.

Student Ownership

Students learn and grow most when given clear expectations and a chance to take ownership of their experience. While our leaders supervise and direct each program, students actively lead important daily tasks, activities, and discussions, instilling greater confidence and independence.

Innovative Programs

We continually develop and improve our programming in response to world issues. Our students benefit from a global network of friends and partner organizations that has been built over seven decades.

High Expectations

We have clearly communicated expectations of behavior that are designed to keep students safe and bring out the best in them. Our simple rules—no smoking, drinking, or drugs, as well as a few more—promote safety and build trust within the group.

Global Stewardship

We partner with communities around the world through long-term collaborations. Our students benefit from authentic interactions with local people, with many of our relationships spanning generations. As a result, they learn to value community empowerment, cultural diversity, and environmental sustainability.

Fun!

While our programs have ambitious educational goals, our founders believed that you learn best when you’re having fun. Putney has always made learning fun and we can guarantee that’s not going to change in our 72nd summer.

“The biggest highlight was the kids I met on the trip. I’m so grateful for the bonds I’ve made. They’re all amazing people and made the trip what it was.”

– Jordana S., Hackley School, Tarrytown, NY

OUTSTANDING leaders

Record of Excellence

Our leaders are chosen from a highly competitive pool of diverse and qualified candidates. We draw leaders with incredible experience in youth engagement, foreign language, international living, and travel. They distinguish themselves in fields ranging from teaching to writing and the arts, science and technology, athletics, journalism, law, medicine, and international development.

Beyond Leadership

Despite the diversity of their experiences, our leaders share a commitment to safety, a passion for exploration, and an enthusiasm for helping students make

their own unique discoveries and become more informed global citizens. They are not only advisers, guides, and mentors, but also good friends.

Leadership Training

Our leaders are required to attend an intensive staff training every summer. During training, leaders participate in workshops, discussions, and activities that focus on trip safety, group dynamics, program logistics, leadership, the Putney Student Travel philosophy, and emergency protocols. All leaders are First Aid and CPR certified, while many hold advanced certifications like Wilderness First Responder or EMT.

REBECCA S’MANGA FRANK

A graduate of New York University’s MFA acting program and Mills College, Rebecca is a Black American, Swazi, Jewish writer, actor, and educator based in New York. She writes poetry, plays, monologues, essays, and scenes for the stage and screen, and stage credits include regional and off-broadway theaters and television shows. She is a New Jewish Culture fellow, LABA New York fellow, and a fellow of The Workshop at Jewish Theological Seminary.

DANIEL ZIETLOW

After studying physics and art history at Rollins College, Dan entered a doctoral program at the University of Colorado, where he specialized in seismology. His work took him around the globe, installing seismometers and magnetotelluric instrumentation, running sonar lines, and collecting water samples on glaciers. Dan then became interested in science communication, starting his own media company. He currently works as an educator at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

PHOENIX KENNEY

Phoenix’s studies and career have taken her to the Himalayas since 2015. Driven by a passion for sustainable and grassroots development, she earned a master’s in education and globalization from the University of Cambridge. As part of her thesis, she conducted a social media analysis of Nepal’s youth humanitarian organizations. This work is now part of her PhD studying youth leadership and entrepreneurship education in Nepal’s Everest region.

JAHMEL A. HOLDEN

A graduate of Columbia College Hollywood and grant recipient from the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, Jahmel has produced and directed promotional video content for numerous notable artists, including Quincy Jones, Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Pharrell Williams, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, John Legend, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, DJ Khaled, and Oprah Winfrey. He has also provided production services for industry giants such as Netflix, Amazon, and the Viacom family.

JANA AŠENBRENNEROVÁ

With a bachelor’s in photojournalism and master’s in visual anthropology from San Francisco State University, Jana is an awardwinning photographer most recently working in the Philippines, Nepal, India, Myanmar, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has contributed to publications worldwide, including Reuters, and dedicates most of her time to international reporting and storytelling.

career

Hands-On Experiences to Inspire Your Future

Pursue your passion as you work alongside practicing professionals in a variety of fields. Get hands-on experience and gain insight into possible career paths and opportunities that await you.

Travel to where your interests come alive and get inspired by the people you meet. Dig into food and culture in Italy, the business of sports in Barcelona, the future of cars in Germany and Sweden, and more.

Produce an independent project to further explore a particular aspect of public health, writing, sports management, farming, or conservation. Follow new ideas, gain new perspectives, and return home ready to blaze your own path.

HIGH SCHOOL

Barcelona: Business of Sports Belize: Wildlife Conservation Germany & Sweden: Future of Cars Ireland: Writing Italy: Farm to Table Peru: Public Health Puerto Rico: Agriculture & Conservation Switzerland: CERN & Science

“Academically and socially inspiring, supportive, advancing to our daughter.” – Lisa K., San Diego, CA

“She returned more mature, more thoughtful, and more willing to help others.”

– Tiia F., Nova Scotia, Canada

Community Engagement & Global Awareness

Collaborate on 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 these 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 Costa Rica, Ecuador, Morocco, Vietnam, and more.

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

HIGH SCHOOL

Costa Rica Ecuador & the Galápagos Fiji Hawai’i India Laos Morocco Peru Tanzania Thailand Vietnam

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Costa Rica Dominican Republic Ecuador & the Galápagos

Active Immersion in Language & Culture

Immerse yourself in a language abroad to accelerate the pace of learning. Challenge yourself outside of the classroom with active language lessons, cultural immersion, and real-world use of your Spanish or French skills.

Improve your confidence speaking through daily interactions with native speakers. Cook alongside your host parent in an Ecuadorian village. Interview locals in Madrid’s Retiro Park. Spend a week with a homestay family in France, or experience daily life with a host sibling.

Sign a pledge to speak in the target language throughout your experience. This commitment, combined with an adventurous spirit, is the principal tool for making progress and improving fluency in a foreign language.

HIGH SCHOOL Ecuador & the Galápagos France Spain

MIDDLE SCHOOL France Spain

“The trip provided her the opportunity to enrich her vocabulary. She has significantly more confidence in her speaking and comprehension of French.”

– Alyson & Richard W., Ross, CA

“Learning he could put electronics aside and give his attention to friends and surroundings was priceless.”

– Mary and Michael M., New Canaan, CT

exploration Adventure Travel & Cultural Immersion

Trek off the beaten path and experience the world as a traveler, not a tourist. Immerse yourself in the landscapes and cultures of a place, adventuring and building authentic connections along the way.

Discover what makes a land and its cultures unique. Ski the rugged backcountry of Patagonia, meet a sheep-farming family in the Faroe Islands, summit Kilimanjaro, sample Croatia’s culinary heritage, meditate with monks in Bhutan, and more.

Delve deeper into place and culture through studentinitiated independent projects. Build on your talents, learn new skills and perspectives, engage with local people, and return home with a better understanding of our diverse planet.

HIGH SCHOOL

Australia, New Zealand, & Fiji Bhutan Croatia Faroe Islands & Iceland Italy & Greece Japan Kilimanjaro

Patagonia: Skiing Switzerland, Italy, France, & Holland

MIDDLE SCHOOL

France & Holland Hawai’i Iceland

pre-college

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Develop the skill set necessary to thrive in college as you explore your interests through field-based seminars, activities, meetings with local experts, and excursions that delve into a local culture.

Choose a seminar and dive deep into a subject that inspires you. Establish a foundation in the classroom, then take your ideas to the streets and studios, the markets and museums—these are your classrooms. Study anime in Tokyo, artificial intelligence at Colby College in Maine, architecture in Barcelona, and more.

Create a final project based on your seminar experiences and share your creation with your peers and instructors. Return home prepared intellectually and socially for the next step into college.

HIGH SCHOOL

Barcelona Colby College, Maine Tokyo

“The seminars were tremendously helpful in thinking about what I want to achieve in my future career.”

Oxford, Paris, & Siena

Oxford Academia programs invite intellectually driven high school students to learn from the finest teachers, scholars, and industry professionals at some of the world’s most esteemed universities: Oxford University, University of Siena in Italy, and The American University of Paris.

Our educators are Oxford, Rhodes, Marshall, and Gates scholars, tenured faculty, industry experts, and thought leaders. On each program, students choose an academic major and minor, pursue subjects in the company of motivated peers, and engage with course material under the guidance of distinguished academics.

SEMINARS

Archaeology & Anthropology Architecture & Sustainability

Art History

Business, Banking, & Markets

Creative Writing

Criminology & Justice Engineering

Evolutionary Biology

Farm to Table

Fashion Design & Culture

French Language

International Relations Journalism Medicine

Psychology & Artificial Intelligence Shakespeare

War & World History & more

harvard chan c-change

Youth Summit on Climate, Equity, & Health

High school students tackle the intertwined crises of climate change, equity, and public health during this residential program with the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE).

Join a community of young changemakers to learn from leading scientists, doctors, public health experts, advocates, and policymakers who are eager to share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Then, take what you have learned and transform your ideas into a Community Action Plan, and return home ready to address these issues in your own community.

ACTION FOCUSES

Climate Communications, Press, & Media

Climate Science Entrepreneurship, Industry, & Technology Environmental Justice Global Health, Epidemiology, & Infectious Disease Medicine & Healthcare Policy & Advocacy

A Putney Pre-College Collaboration

The Smithsonian Institution and Putney have collaborated to create Smithsonian Student Travel, innovative summer opportunities that draw on the reach and resources of the Smithsonian and the expertise of Putney Student Travel. Our programs are open to students completing 8th–12th grades and are designed to deepen knowledge and cultural awareness of the world through immersive summer travel experiences in destinations ranging from Iceland and Scotland to Australia and Japan.

Alongside like-minded peers, experienced trip leaders, and knowledgeable Smithsonian Student Travel Experts, students participate in engaging, educational, and adventurous activities as they explore the world through the Smithsonian lens. Ranging from two to three weeks, each program focuses on a specific theme, enabling students to gain a deeper understanding of the history, culture, cuisine, language, and environment of their destination.

DESTINATIONS

Australia Belize Costa Rica

Ecuador & the Galápagos France Greece & Italy Iceland Japan

New York & Denmark Portugal & Spain Scotland

Washington, D.C. & Houston

Developed in collaboration with Putney, The Columbia Climate School in the Green Mountains and Columbia Climate Corps programs provide an Ivy League educational experience for high school students passionate about the environment.

The Green Mountains program is a two-week campus-based experience at Castleton University in Vermont to mobilize action, drive impact, and effect change in response to our warming planet. The Climate Corps opportunities are small group placebased field experiences through the lens of climate change. Each program is uniquely and intently structured on location-specific themes.

GREEN MOUNTAINS

The Science of Climate Change

Climate Impacts

Communication and Advocacy

CLIMATE CORPS

Alaska: Climate Storytelling

Chile & Peru: Water Scarcity

Iceland: Carbon Capture Technology

Learn more at climate.columbia.edu/green-mountains & climate.columbia.edu/columbia-climate-corps

Scholarship Opportunities

The Putney Open Door Fund, a nonprofit foundation whose purpose is to provide support for young people seeking educational summer experiences, considers scholarship applications from students applying to Putney Student Travel programs.

Learn more at goputney.com/podf

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

Thank you to the following photographers:

Jana Ašenbrennerová

Christina Bellin

Meg Chandler

Giulia Ciampini

Brady Clarke

Lucy DiFrancesco

Taylor Drake

Catherine Dundon

David Felsen

Erica Frisk

Lauren Fritz

Evan Frost

Polly Gates

Erin Heidelberger

Allie Jacques

Bridget Lanigan

Simone Levine

WIlliam Liu

Brianna Lopez

Sael Matute

Polly McGinness Hailey Savage

Connor Brett Smirl

Alexander Sutton

Dr. Tierney Thys

Rebekah Willey

“This was a truly once-ina-lifetime experience and I am so honored to have been a part of it.”

– Kai S, Sidwell Friends School, Bethesda, MD