2-weeks & under
Campus-Based
Climate & Sustainability
Eligible for rising 9th graders
Intensives & Workshops
New for 2025!
North America Based
Putney Classics
Science & Nature
Leadership
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
Campus-based climate change program for grades 9–12
The Putney Open Door Fund is a nonprofit foundation whose purpose is to eliminate barriers for young people seeking educational summer experiences. The Fund’s Board of Directors is committed to making the immeasurable benefits of transformative travel available to all students, regardless of their economic status. Scholarships are awarded annually. Most Putney Open Door Fund scholarships support students on Service and Pre-College programs worldwide.
The success of the Putney Open Door Fund depends on the generosity of its donors. One hundred percent of your gift to the Putney Open Door Fund directly funds our scholarships—bringing transformative travel to students who otherwise may not be able to access such programs. We can not do this work without your support. Our scholars come from under-represented communities and have significant, systemic barriers that prevent access to educational travel. Before traveling through the Putney Open Door Fund, many of our students had never been outside of their home communities. Please give the gift of educational travel today.
Looking to apply for a scholarship? Click here to learn how.
“By building, creating and improving local schools in Fiji, I hope to empower kids in the same way my school has empowered me. It is my wish that improving the future of these kids will help them break the cycle that I am trying to break right now.”
“I gained a broader view of how people live, and that made me grow personally. I am now more interested in the theme of the program, climate change, and I am more conscious of the way my actions affect the world and others around me.”
“After my Putney trip, I believe in myself more. I have more confidence to take on the world. I feel closer to my parents because now I know how they grew up in a small Caribbean town. I have so many more experiences that I can use to connect with people.”
“I traveled on my own, met new people, ate delicious food, learned lessons both in art and in human nature, visited famous landmarks, and did things I have dreamt of doing since I was a small girl.”
“What Putney did for me was open my eyes to a new area of the country and help me step out of my comfort zone. I met people from all over the world. I learned to be more confident and open. Thank you for this great experience.”
“I learned a lot more about Costa Rica than I would have learned in a book. In my Spanish class we learn about other cultures but we never experience what it is like to live there. I am so grateful for this experience. This was one summer I will never forget!”
2023 Board of Directors:
Emeritus Directors:
Providing immersive summer travel programs for middle & high school students since 1951.
Putney has been the leader in student travel and educational summers for more than 70 years. As a family-run organization, our decades of experience, our dedication to quality programs, and the personal service you receive are unmatched.
We invite you to subscribe to hear about new programs and upcoming events, and start your path to the summer of a lifetime.
