Shifting Gears

On Tuesday afternoon, we concluded our community service project in La Guazara by completing the cement floor of our seventeenth house! In addition to the cement floor project, students also painted the community basketball court and interior of the community center. Way to go, team,…

Excursion to Bahia las Aguilas

Hello all, This weekend we traveled to Bahia de las Aguilas, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We camped on the beach. It was a tad uncomfortable, but very fun. We have grown very close to the locals and each other. Aside…

T.G.I.F.

The following post features student writing. Today, we had an energizing and healthy breakfast of eggs, oatmeal, and—our trip specialty—peanut butter or Nutella on bread with Cornflakes on top. Following breakfast, we headed to the worksites. We split into three groups: one group made stencils…

Learning with the Locals

Our host village, La Guazara, is presenting us with many opportunities to learn local customs.  Students are navigating language barriers with grace, practicing nonverbal communication, including sign language with deaf children in the community, picking up a few Haitian Creole phrases, and speaking Spanish without…

The Grind

The following post features student writing. Charlie and Ben here to talk to you about—The Grind. That’s right. You heard it here first. Our motto here: “When is the grind over? When it ends. When does it end? Never.” The grind is a constant. It…

Bienvenidos a La Guazara

After yesterday’s long haul, the students had a chance to sleep in before we headed to our community service village, La Guazara, which is named after the guazara tree found at the village’s central park. In a stunning four-hour ride, the ecological diversity of the…

A Whirlwind Day

In what was a whirlwind day, 16 amazing students from every slice of the United States descended upon New York City’s JFK airport to embark on a two-week cultural immersion journey to the Dominican Republic. Smiles and laughs were bountiful as students gave one last…

The group has arrived

We’ve received word from the leaders that the group has arrived in the Dominican Republic.

Get Ready!

Dear students, You’re likely all wrapped up with final exams and are catching up on those missed hours of Clash Royal or binge watching Netflix. Good. That’s exactly what you should be doing: storing energy and relaxing before what promises to be an adventure-filled summer…

Welcome!

Welcome to Putney! This blog is where friends and family can follow along on the group’s adventures through periodic updates, photos, and stories from our leaders and students in the field. While we hope for a blog update once or twice each week, internet access is often…