Putney has a long history of commitment to a diverse student body, starting with its founding in 1935. One of the founder’s fundamental goals for the school reads “To combat prejudices caused by differences in economic, political, racial, and religious backgrounds; to strive for a world outlook, putting oneself in others' places, no matter how far away or how remote.” One of the four key elements of Putney’s 2008 strategic plan reads: “If we are to prepare our students to be effective citizens in the 21st century, we must ensure that they are comfortable with and capable of living and working effectively in a diverse community. They must be prepared to live and work in an increasingly diverse America, as well as function effectively in a global economy.”
The Putney community strives to be one in which all students feel equally at home. United Students, a group of students of color, helps to bring programs and cultural events to campus to enrich our community. The International student office helps students both acclimatize to Vermont and share their own cultures with the school.
While supporting our students of color and international students who live at Putney, we are committed to helping all our students become culturally fluent. This means that students from Vermont and others for whom Putney may feel like ‘home’, are asked to recognize that they face particular challenges in learning other cultures, learning to step outside their own comfort zones.
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