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

columbia-climate-school-icon

Campus-based climate change program for grades 9–12

June 22 — July 13
$8,990 + airfare

Tokyo

June 22 — July 13
$8,990 + airfare

Join us in Tokyo for an insider’s experience of the world’s largest metropolis on this Pre-College summer program for high school students. Broaden your horizons with in-depth, field-based seminars and elective workshops as you become part of an inspiring and supportive community of instructors and students from around the world. Choose a seminar and dive deep into your subject matter through engaging discussions, site visits, and hands-on projects that immerse you in Japanese life.

• Hone your Japanese language skills in a class designed for your skill level
• Visit the Nakano Manga School and develop your illustration and design skills
• Meet with tech-savvy entrepreneurs to share and workshop your business plan
• Explore fashion, textiles, and techniques at a centuries-old kimono shop
“The experience was excellent — we’re just sorry we weren’t aware of this amazing program earlier!”
—Charlene & James W., Phoenix, AZ

Seminars

Choose a seminar and explore Tokyo through the lens of your chosen subject. Putney seminars combine experiential learning and global perspective, and are intentionally designed not to be like school, where learning is classroom-centered and text heavy. Instead, Putney students learn by doing. Begin with classroom discussions that frame your seminar concepts and identify key issues. Take the learning beyond the classroom with site visits, meetings with local experts, guest lectures, and field trips. Tokyo’s rich history, cultural background, and cutting-edge reputation make it the perfect setting for our field-based seminars. Cap off your studies with a final project or installation to share your work.
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Anime & Illustration
This interactive course will introduce you to the world of Japanese anime and manga, two storytelling art forms that have seen an explosion in popularity with Western audiences recently. Develop your illustration and design skills as you learn from skilled...
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Fashion & Design: Tokyo
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Tokyo redefined its presence on the fashion scene with the emergence of street fashion. In this course, explore street fashion’s historical roots, and the political, social, and cultural factors that helped it take shape....
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International Business & Trade
What makes a business succeed in today’s market and what are the steps taken between identifying a need and opening your (real or virtual) doors? What are the key similarities and differences when comparing business management in the West to the way it...
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Japanese Cuisine & Culture
Iconic. Original. Beautiful. Japanese food is known around the world for its spectacular visuals, delicate flavors, and love of rich tastes, known as umami. In this seminar, experience the culinary world of Japan’s greatest city and all it has to of