July 4: Departure Day, Newark to New Delhi
Group Meeting:
At 6:30 PM, meet your group leader and fellow students at the United Airlines check-in counter (outside of security) at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). This is the official start of your Putney summer!
Group Flight:
The group will fly on United Airlines flight #82 departing Newark (EWR) at 9:45 PM on July 4, arriving in New Delhi, India (DEL), at 9:30 PM local time on July 5 (14 ½ hours en route).
July 5 & 6: New Delhi
Spend a day exploring New Delhi, including the city’s UNESCO World Heritage sites, the maze of tiny streets in Old Delhi, and the Red Fort. Visit the Jama Masjid mosque, Humayun’s Tomb, or the soaring Qutab Minar tower. Have your program orientation and prepare for your journey to Leh.
July 7 – 25: Ladakh & the Himalaya
On July 7, the group will fly on Jet Airways flight #2368 from New Delhi to Leh.
Arrive in Leh and travel to our base at the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), a school with boarding facilities in a nearby village. Meet with students to identify key issues that will frame your work in India. Generate questions to explore further through interviews and discuss in focus groups. Meet with local leadership, activists, members of local cooperatives, and other community stakeholders as you begin to understand the challenges and innovations of the region. Take an eight-day trek through the Himalaya mountains. Stay in guest houses and monasteries situated in the hill towns. Live life as locals do by pairing up with a fellow student to spend a few days in village homes. Return from the trek and reconvene at SECMOL to share your experiences and reflections in a youth forum held with your Ladakhi peers and other community members.
July 26 & 27: New Delhi
On July 26, the group will fly on Jet Airways flight #2369 from Leh to New Delhi.
Say farewell to our friends at SECMOL and return to New Delhi. Visit more of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage sites and monuments.
July 28: Agra
Leave New Delhi in the morning, traveling by private bus to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and the nearby Mehtab Bagh Gardens.
July 30: Return Day, New Delhi to Newark
Group Flight:
The group will fly on United Airlines flight #83 departing New Delhi, India (DEL) at 11:35 PM local time on July 29, returning to the International Arrivals Area of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) at 5:10 AM on July 30 (15 hours en route).