For students currently in grades 9–12
Special programs & collaborations
Custom Programs

Looking to create a custom program or collaboration?

Travel programs with the Smithsonian Institution for grades 8–12

Challenge yourself academically at the world's most prestigious universities

Non-profit organization offering student travel scholarships

High school youth summit focused on public health, climate change, and equity

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Campus-based climate change program for grades 9–12

Adventure & Immersion

Exploration Programs

Experience the World

Off the Beaten Path

Putney offers adventurous travel programs abroad for both high school and middle school students. Exploration trips range from two to four weeks and provide much more than adventure travel—our programs combine adventurous activities with authentic cultural immersion. From Croatia to Patagonia, the Faroe Islands to Australia, and beyond, our Exploration program destinations allow Putney students to experience the world as travelers, not as tourists.

Adventurous Travel
Engage in Active Adventures Abroad

Travel abroad this summer and discover an insider’s view of some of the world’s most fascinating places and cultures through exciting, active, and challenging expeditions and experiences, designed appropriately for high school or middle school students.

Examples of Travel Adventures

  • Summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa
  • Navigate a boat through Australia’s Whitsunday Islands
  • Hike across a glacier in the Swiss Alps
  • Strap on a pair of backcountry skis and explore snowy Patagonia
  • Explore hidden ramen shops in Japan
  • Visit a geothermal power station in Iceland and relax in the hot springs
Cultural Immersion
Experience Authentic Cultural Immersion

We design summer adventure travel for middle and high school students to get you off the beaten path and to explore the world as a traveler—not as a tourist. Live with a homestay family for a week on a New Zealand sheep farm, head out with fishermen among the Faroe Islands, or learn to cook a traditional Tuscan meal using ingredients you harvested the same day. Balance city experiences with small-town and rural living, and become a part of daily life in your chosen destination.

Independent Projects
Take on a Creative Independent Student Project: Learn by Exploring

Over the course of your summer adventure travel, delve deeper into place and culture through student-initiated independent projects, pursuing a topic that interests you.

Examples of Student Projects

  • Become an expert on the famous artwork of Vincent Van Gogh
  • Draw inspiration from Bled Castle in Slovenia to compose a poem or short story
  • Study the effects of climate change on glaciers in Switzerland
  • Create a recipe book, video, or podcast to document your adventure
  • Discover the impacts of coral bleaching in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
  • Make cheese with a French farmer
  • Explore Iceland’s approach to renewable energy
  • Apprentice with a master gelato maker in Italy
  • Research the geological processes that created Mt. Kilimanjaro
Our Leaders
Our Exploration Program Leaders

Our highly credentialed Exploration program leaders bring a wealth of knowledge and diverse life experiences to our middle and high school summer trips abroad. Seasoned world travelers all, each leader is experienced in areas of study that have prepared them to lead international excursions, including history, environmental sciences, foreign language, and geology, to name a few. When they’re not traveling, many work in middle school or high school settings, teaching subject matter relevant to world travel, including social studies, French, Spanish, or English as a Second Language (ESL). All of our leaders are poised to help Putney students get the most out of their summer adventures abroad, and return home with renewed perspectives on themselves and the world. Click here to meet our leaders.

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Off the Beaten Path

Venture beyond the typical to explore some of the most spectacular and wild landscapes in the world, soak up diverse city experiences, make lasting memories, try new things, and have fun.

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Cultural Engagement

Delve deeper into place and culture through student-initiated independent projects. Build on your talents, learn new skills and perspectives, engage with local people, and come home with a better understanding of our diverse and ever-changing planet.

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Immersive Adventure

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, and more.

“My husband traveled with Putney 25 years ago. He was thrilled to see that the quality of programming, leaders, and students drawn to Putney are just as great as they were back then.”

— Carolyn & Ray E., Charleston, SC

Summer 2025

Middle School Exploration Programs

Summer 2025

High School Exploration Programs

Eligible for 8th grade*
*These programs are typically for students in grades 9–12, however motivated rising 9th graders will be considered

Start Your Journey

Join to hear about new programs and upcoming events, and start your path to the summer of a lifetime.