Work Program

We believe in the dignity and relevance of physical work and the importance of students taking responsibility for it.

The Work Program provides a setting where students can further their understanding of the relationship between work, home, and community life. The result of participation is empowerment.

Work Program

We believe that students are capable and trustworthy, and that big learning and big joy come from contributing to a community. The work program has been a part of Putney since its founding; it teaches leadership, teamwork, stewardship, and grit. Plus, it's fun.

Students learn how to do activities that form the foundation of life and the living of it. The objectives of the Work Program are to:

  • Teach students about the value of physical work.
  • Instill a sense of self-reliance and the importance of providing for oneself.
  • Foster a sense of pride and dignity in work well done and in making a meaningful contribution to the community as a whole.
  • Instill a sense of caring for our place and the environment in which we live.
  • Provide an alternative setting in which adults can mentor students.
  • Teach self-discipline and responsibility toward others through assignment to a variety of jobs.
  • Provide instruction in practical life skills: how to manage time and work on a schedule, call in sick, take direction, resolve problems in the workplace, work together with others toward a common goal.
  • Provide instruction in specific job skills, i.e. carpentry, cooking, farming, forestry.
  • Use the campus as a laboratory in which the students strengthen their understanding of classroom material by application in a real-life setting.

Throughout their stay at Putney, all students must satisfy six work distribution requirements:

  • Lunch job
  • Dinner waiting
  • Barn crew
  • Dish crew
  • General substitute
  • An afternoon job in one of the land-use activities (garden, farm, woods, sugaring, landscaping, trail maintenance, etc.)

Students take an active role in assigning and supervising work at The Putney School. This student Work Committee consists of seven students (each covering a particular area: barn, general subs, breakfast, lunch, dinner, classrooms, and secretary), who assign each student a job (6 days of 30-40 minute work) and supervise them. These job assignments last for a trimester. At the end of each trimester, students fill out a request for the next trimester’s job.

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