TeenLife Guide to Gap Year Programs - 2016

GUIDE TO

2016

PROGRAMS

WHY AND HOW TO PLAN A GAP YEAR PLUS:

20 Options to Explore

TeenLife.com

Presenting the 2016 Guide to

GAP YEAR PROGRAMS All of us at TeenLife believe that college-bound students like you can benefit enormously from taking a gap year or semester –­ an intentional break after high school to learn the life skills necessary to make the most of your college experience (and investment!).

Research has found that taking time out from school helps students to be more motivated once they go to college. Gap years even outweigh other variables for college success, such as gender and socio-economic status.

GOT QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS?

Email me at mschwartz@teenlife.com

Structured gap programs, such as the examples in this guide, can help you to see the world beyond your doorstep, meet people who are different from your family and usual friends, and be responsible for yourself in a way that prepares you for life beyond high school.

Gap programs don’t have to be exotic or expensive. We offer plenty of advice on how to afford the gap program of your dreams, how to “get away” close to home, and even how to convince your parents that this is a good idea! Still overwhelmed? Consult one of the many gap advisors listed on TeenLife.com who can help you plan the year that best fits your interests and budget. One of them is mentioned in this guide.

It takes hard work to get into college and it’s a big financial commitment.

All the more reason to take time before the next academic endeavor to discover more about yourself and the world.

Interested in learning more about exciting experienced-based programs?

Be sure to visit TeenLife.com and join our email list!

The TeenLife team and I look forward to hearing about your discoveries!

You can email me at mschwartz@teenlife.com.

Marie Schwartz CEO & Founder TeenLife Media, LLC

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2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

Contents 2016 GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

Photo courtesy of Rustic Pathways

4 TAKE OUR ADVICE: Why college-bound students can use a year “on.”

12 GOING OVERSEAS? Let us help you avoid culture shock.

5 FIND A GAP FAIR: Check our list for a fair near you.

15 20 GAP OPTIONS TO CONSIDER: Find a program or advisor here!

6 WANT TO TAKE A GAP YEAR but need help convincing your parents?

36 MEMO FROM A MOM: How to make a gap work.

4 WAYS to Pay for a Gap Program.

30 CLOSE TO HOME: Find a gap in your own back yard.

8

10 COLLEGE OR GAP? ‘Bridge’ programs allow you to do both.

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

3

Why every student should consider a year

“on”

By Ethan Knight American Gap Association Every student should consider a gap year or semester.

A gap year is not a party on the beach, nor simply a time to earn money prior to college. A quality gap year is not a year “off” but rather a year “on,” typically taken between high school and college in order to gain practical, professional, and personal awareness.

The best way to plan a gap year is to start with something more structured (often a program) that will help a student maximize learning and help teach the fundamentals of risk management. Also, working with a modicum of structure will be easier for a college admissions officer to understand and only serves to help the college application process.

Most students don’t even know that gaps are a possibility let alone what they might actually do while taking a break from the classroom. But it’s important to make sure the student leads the way.

Often, parents who want the most for their children do everything to get them into college – and the

same can be true when kids are considering various gap programs. Ultimately, though, the journey is the student’s and that’s who should shoulder the lion’s share of figuring things out.

The best place for students to start is with checking out programs, like the ones listed in this guide. Have them spend an hour (no more), writing down the various elements (countries, languages, activities, housing situations, physical/emotional/academic challenges, etc.) that seem the most interesting or best fit.

From there, students can think about a gap as multiple activities superimposed onto an academic calendar (think trimesters or semesters so students have time to get to really experience a program or culture). Then they can consider the budget, explore specific programs, and apply.

Both data and anecdotal evidence say that helping students take time “on” is often the best thing that could be done for their college, and life, success.

Ethan Knight is founder and director of the American Gap Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that accredits and sets standards for organizations offering gap programs, sponsors gap fairs, and promotes gap years and semesters as a beneficial part of education.

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2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

USA GAP YEAR FAIRS The 2016 USA Gap year fair are free but be sure to register in advance at usagapyearfairs.org/fairs/ JANUARY Philadelphia, PA 1/9, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM William Penn Charter School

Montclair, NJ 1/10, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Montclair High School

White Plains, NY 1/11, 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM 550 North St. White Plains

Fairfield, CT 1/12, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM Fairfield Ludlowe High School

New York City, NY 1/13, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Grace Church School

Long Island, NY 1/14, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Friends Academy

Brookline, MA 1/16, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM Brookline High School

South Burlington, VT 1/20, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM South Burlington High School

Scarborough, ME 1/21, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM Scarborough High School

Andover, MA 1/24, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Phillips Academy Andover

Minneapolis, MN 1/26, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM Groves Academy

Ann Arbor, MI

Boulder, CO

1/28, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Pioneer High School

2/16, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Peak to Peak Charter School

Chicago, IL

Denver, CO

1/30, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM New Trier High School

2/17, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Denver Academy

Houston, TX

FEBRUARY Washington, DC 2/1, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Georgetown Day School

Fairfax, VA 2/3, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM George C. Marshall High School

Aldie, VA 2/4, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM John Champe High School

Rockville, MD 2/5, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Thomas S. Wootton School

Asheville, NC 2/6, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM Asheville School

Charlotte, NC 2/8, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Providence Day School

Atlanta, GA 2/9, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Pace Academy

Portland, OR 2/10, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Cleveland High School

2/19, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Episcopal High School

Austin, TX 2/21, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM St. Stephen’s Episcopal School

Los Angeles, CA 2/22, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Harvard Westlake School

Los Angeles, CA 2/23, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Vistamar School

Santa Barbara, CA 2/24, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Santa Barbara High School

San Anselmo, CA 2/25, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Sir Francis Drake High School

Los Altos, CA 2/27, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM Los Altos High School

Lafayette, CA 2/28, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Bentley Schoo

San Francisco, CA 2/28, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Jewish Community High School of the Bay

Seattle, WA 2/11, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM The Northwest School

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

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Want to take a GAP YEAR but need help convincing your parents?

By Susan Moeller Our advice: Do your homework.

Do you fit into one of these gap categories?

No, we’re not talking about that history paper or the next math chapter (although that’s important, too).

This is your gap homework - what you need to know before you have that chat with your parents about postponing a year or semester of college.

Workers: Worn out from worrying about high scores and keeping up their GPAs. Meaning-seekers: Smart but their grades could be higher if they understood why they were going to school.

Pragmatists: Seeking a sharp focus or new skill before going to college.

Strugglers: Need a break to get re-energized for the hard work of school.

Floaters: Not really engaged in school, so why spend the money on college now?

What do you need to figure out? Let’s start with you.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A GAP? Are you too burned out from school to give freshman year the required focus? Committed to promoting sustainability in agriculture or supporting a particular presidential candidate? Curious if premed or early childhood ed is the right major? Worried about a weakness in math? Wishing you spoke fluent Spanish or Mandarin? Distracted by a severe case of wanderlust?

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2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

The reason for taking time off from school should determine how you spend your gap and how much it’s going to cost. And you need to make sure you have the energy, courage, and confidence to be going off on a gap when your friends are packing their plastic bins for college.

Once you know why, you can explore the what.

YOU’VE GOT A WISH LIST, NOW WHAT?

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A GAP?

You need to gather some ammunition, er, information.

Think about the worries of your parents: Will you still get financial aid? Will you lose the momentum of going to school? Will you be out of sync with your classmates when you go back to school? Will you even go back to school?

Well, almost anything that’s not slacker-worthy.

You don’t want to be hanging out in your parents’ basement playing video games. The point is to explore yourself, your interests, or the wider world (and that could be the world across the ocean or around the corner).

Would some stats help?

•

Researchers from Sydney University in Australia found that taking time out from school helped with motivation once students got to college. Gap benefits even outweighed other variables for college success, such as gender and socio-economic status. Researchers even argued that their 2007 survey of 338 gap year students showed that taking a break helped students focus on what they were going to do after college.

•

More than 90 percent of 600 gap students responding to a 2015 American Gap Association survey said their time off from school increased confidence, maturity, communication skills, or the ability to get along with people with backgrounds different from their own.

•

Karl Haigler, co-author with Rae Nelson of “The Gap-Year Advantage,” says that of 300 American gap students he polled, 90 percent went to college within a year.

•

A study of gap students in the United Kingdom, where it’s also more common than in the States, showed that those who applied to college and deferred a year, were as likely to go to college as those who applied and went to college straight from secondary school.

You could travel, volunteer, find an internship, take an online course, get a job, or do a combination of several of those things.

Some gap programs are as structured as school, with participants living in dormitories and going to seminars or performing community service. Some involve travel and perhaps a homestay. Other programs are quite unstructured: You might attend classes, work on a farm, or intern but live on your own in an apartment or shared housing.

You have to decide how much structure you want or need to meet your goal of, say, being fluent in a language by the end of a year’s time.

You also need to ask questions about the colleges where you want to apply. How does the admissions office think about gap years? How does it affect financial aid? Does the college have its own gap or bridge program? Remember, you’re not committing to anything yet, just asking.

And this is also the time to start looking at costs.

As a general rule, the more structured the program, the higher the cost. On the other hand, a structured program might give you access to people or cultural experiences you couldn’t get on your own. So one option might be working for a while or fund-raising to help pay for a shorter, more expensive program. Either way, you should develop a realistic plan for financing before you try to sell parents on the idea.

So, by the time you’re ready to have that chat, you should have an idea of why you want to take a gap, what you want to do, why will benefit you in particular, and how you’re going to finance it. Sure, it’s a bit of work, but probably not much more than one more college or scholarship application. Think about the financial and mental commitment it takes to go to college. Surely, that’s worth the time to explore all your options.

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

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4 Ways to Pay for a Gap Program

By Kay Keough

Whether you want to see the world, test out an interest or learn a new skill, taking a gap year or semester after high school can send you in an exciting new direction. But is it possible to have an affordable life-changing experience and still have enough money to return to the even more expensive world of academia?

Absolutely, say the experts, and they are keenly aware of your budgetary concerns.

“Affordability is kind of my thing because, frankly, I’m kind of shocked when I see some of the prices for these gap programs,” says Sue Di Filippo, owner of the student consulting business Gap Year Explorer in Arlington, Va. But Julia Rogers, founder of Enroute Consulting in Stowe, Vt., says finding the right financial fit is all about customization.

“A gap year is open, available and possible for any budget. You have to know a little about what kind of 8

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

money you have to work or play with. Then, opportunities will show themselves,” she says.

Rogers and Di Filippo work with students and others to find and coordinate the best gap experience possible. Along with David Stitt, managing director of Gap 360, based in the United Kingdom, they shared some tips on affordability.

1. SAVE EARLY The first step is talking with your parents. How much, if anything, would they be willing to contribute to a gap year or semester? What are the negotiating points: the structure of the program, your financial contribution, a pledge to return to school? Can you agree on a level of adventure and how to pay for it?

Meanwhile, it never hurts to put money aside as soon as you think you might want to take a gap, says Rogers, who recommends starting with parttime jobs and birthday and graduation gifts.

That means planning as early as junior year or even sophomore year.

Many experts recommend splitting your gap time between working and trying something new. Di Filippo tells students to take the year in thirds, with one-third spent filling out college applications (if you haven’t already been accepted and deferred going to college), one-third working and saving, and the final third traveling.

2. TRY FUNDRAISING AND CROWDSOURCING Fundraising can be a major tool in your gap tool belt.

There are two primary methods: real-world (local) fundraising and crowdsourcing.

Local fundraising can take many forms and includes simple ideas like a car wash. Several websites have lists of suggestions, including Journeys are made @ gapyear.com, a social network created by backpackers.

AFS-USA, a nonprofit focused on student exchange programs and study abroad, also has a fundraising guide on its website.

For help planning a fundraiser, Rogers suggests talking with a community organization that might be interested in partnering on a gap-year project, such as raising money for an overseas medical mission.

Popular crowdsourcing sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo are also great online platforms for raising funds, and the latter has a partnership with gap-year program provider Thinking Beyond Borders. Students looking specifically to volunteer might try Volunteer Forever. The website gives you space to describe your project and then helps you raise the money through social media and crowdsourcing.

Whatever method you use, Rogers says to be clear about your goals. Explain your mission and its benefits, particularly the benefits to others, and define specific needs like raising money for a plane ticket.

3. LOOK FOR FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOOL-SPONSORED PROGRAMS A number of scholarships and grants are available to help fund gap programs. The American Gap Associa-

tion, says Rogers, is a good source for beginning your search.

If you’re still applying to colleges, consider one with a gap or bridge-year option.

For example, Tufts University’s 1+4 Bridge Year Service Learning Program places admitted freshmen in service organizations for a year before they begin classes and offers varying levels of financial support. Princeton University’s tuition-free Bridge Year Program is a nine-month service term in one of five international locations.

And the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a competitive Global Gap Year Fellowship, offering a $7,500 stipend for a self-designed gap year.

4. CHOOSE AN EXPERIENCE THAT IS SELF-SUPPORTING The more structured the gap program, the higher the cost is likely to be to cover things like staffing, says Rogers. But there are alternatives.

She’s a fan of WWOOF, or Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, a consortium that takes you on as a farm volunteer in exchange for room and board, one way to offset the costs of a gap year.

“It’s an excellent way to travel the world,” she says. And she speaks from experience: She worked on a WWOOF farm in New Zealand.

Those interested in Australia, says Di Filippo, can secure a visa and work in the hospitality field or on a ranch for upwards of $20 an hour, through programs like Take Australia or Visitoz.

Domestic programs such as AmeriCorps may offer a stipend or student loan deferments.

And, if you like children, working as an au pair, in the United States or overseas, can mean free room and board.

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

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College or gap?

Now you can do both

By Amy Anthony Unsure whether to head straight to college or take a year off? You can do both at the same time.

Several universities and colleges now offer programs that allow incoming freshmen to defer their enrollment for a semester or an academic year while they get the valuable life experience a break from pure academics offers.

While college-based gap programs vary in focus and in scope – some offer volunteer experiences while others provide internships – participating students develop a pre-college community of peers and get other academic and social benefits, proponents say.

“There is data that students who do gap years have better graduation rates, perform better academically and are better prepared for life,” said Alan Solomont, dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.

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2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

Solomont oversees the Tufts 1+4 Bridge-Year Service Learning Program, which offers qualifying Tufts freshmen either international or Washington, D.C., volunteer opportunities in fields such as child development and sustainable agriculture. The program, now in its first year, has six students in Brazil, five in Nicaragua and four in Spain. The price is $33,000, which includes housing, airfare, meals, a stipend and other program costs. Need-based financial aid is available to qualifying students.

Solomont and his colleagues plan to follow BridgeYear students to see if they do better academically than those who don’t participate.

A nine-month, tuition-free program at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J., also offers incoming freshmen the opportunity to volunteer abroad.

Princeton’s Bridge Year offers programs in five loca-

tions: Bolivia, Brazil, China, India and Senegal. Students can work on volunteer projects in areas such as education, the environment and community development.

Now in its seventh year, the program places seven students at each location so they can share the experience and learn from each other.

Bridge Year students arrive at Princeton with a greater sense of purpose than they may have had before the program, said Scott Leroy, associate director of Princeton’s Bridge Year Program. The university covers program costs, while students pay for airfare and health insurance. These costs are subsidized for students who qualify for financial aid.

“There are the obvious language skills and cross-cultural communication skills, but I think they also develop skills that prepare them to be successful at school, like learning how to problem-solve, how to cope with highly stressful situations, how to manage your time more effectively,” Leroy said. “These are skills that every freshman needs to be successful.”

At the University of North Carolina, students who receive Global Gap Year Fellowships are allowed to design their own gap programs. The nine-month fellowship provides up to $7,500 to each student.

“The idea is that during project preparation and travel planning, students are acquiring a number of skills that are very useful to them during their gap year and during their academic career at UNC,” said Erin Krauss, global programs coordinator at UNC.

Students have a lot of flexibility in terms of where they can go and which volunteer projects they can work on.

Fellowship advisers encourage students to focus on two to three locations over the course of the year, and fellows are required to produce a series of blog entries and two reports reflecting on their experience.

“The year of service abroad is seen as a catalyst for a college career exploring languages, intercultural relationships, public service and global affairs,” Krauss said.

“The gap year is just the ‘kick-off’ of a five-year learning plan….”

While most schools offer gap-year programs only to incoming freshmen, the American University Gap Program in Washington, D.C., is open to any high school graduate interested in volunteering and working in the nation’s capital. Tuition and fees run about $10,000 per semester, plus about $8,000 for housing, health insurance and a meal plan. Financial aid is not available.

“The AU Gap Program is open to students looking to take a different experience before college – not just those considering American University for their undergraduate degrees,” said Lana Knox, assistant director of graduate bridge programs in American University’s School of Professional and Extended Studies.

Students participate in either semester-long or yearlong coursework focusing on global business, international affairs or American politics. In addition, participants take on an internship of their choice.

“Through site visits and guest speakers, students are given the opportunity to look at the world from differing perspectives,” Knox said. “Through the internship component, students gain exposure to possible career paths and learn professional skills to help position them for future opportunities.”

One of the challenges students in gap-year programs face is arriving to campus “a year behind” their peers, Solomont said. But many of the programs, including the one at Tufts, are designed to be integrated with the students’ college experiences and provide students with a built-in peer group.

“They come to campus with this community of first-year students that they have already gotten to know, which is a powerful bond,” Solomont said.

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Culture shock: Try these 4 tips to feel at ease

By Mary Grauerholz Before she went to Japan as an exchange student at age 21, Rebecca Fitzgerald thought she was well prepared for culture shock. But the reality was harder than she imagined.

“I came to realize that I had a very surface understanding of it,” Fitzgerald says. “But what I had learned – the visual parts of a culture, food, the way people dress – is the tip of the iceberg.”

The disorienting parts were what she calls “the invis12

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

ible” belief systems: the ways people live, how they perceive other cultures. On top of all that, Fitzgerald felt guilty. “I thought I was doing ‘study abroad’ the wrong way,” she recalls. “I thought everyone else was having a great time.”

Culture shock – the disorientation many people feel when they experience an unfamiliar way of life – is different from homesickness. But it is completely normal, Fitzgerald says. Today, as the manager of international mobility at the Humber

Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Toronto, Fitzgerald trains Humber’s study-abroad students in how to survive it.

“I tell them it’s a great learning point,” Fitzgerald says.

“If you can recognize the (differences) and reflect on how you’re feeling, that’s when you learn more about yourself.”

Of Humber’s 27,000 full-time students, about 3,600 are international, representing more than 100 countries around the world; about 500 international and domestic students leave Humber each year to study abroad.

Culture shock, which can leave students angry, depressed, withdrawn and confused, typically comes after the “honeymoon,” Fitzgerald says, and usually turns to adjustment and integration. But if the symptoms continue, clinical depression is a possibility, and professional support may be necessary.

Most students who want to study abroad are naturally open-minded, says Louise Ripley-Duggan, student recruitment marketing administrator at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London. Royal Central typically has 150 international students each year.

“But a big culture shock to the system can make even the most adventurous person clam up,” she says. “Give 100 percent of yourself to get to where you want to be, and the rest should fall into place.

You’ll get used to your surroundings without even noticing.”

Cristobal Pizarro Schkolnik, who is from Chile, is a graduate student at Royal Central in London, studying writing for stage and broadcast media. Schkolnik, 28, says he experienced culture shock in many ways in London.

“First of all, language,” he says. “Even though I thought I was super-prepared to communicate and

socialize properly in English – I did great on my English tests – I wasn’t. Spending a whole day in a classroom trying to understand a class in English, going into breaks with your English classmates, having no idea what they were talking about, was super-frustrating. Food and missing my family were big issues.”

Deep winter brought the added challenges of frigid weather and short days.

But Schkolnik has persevered, in large part by maintaining a sense of humor. “You’re going to make tons of mistakes, say things the wrong way, do things the wrong way,” he says. “Be open to change and open to what you don’t know; there is no other way around it.”

Here’s what Duggan, Schkolnik and Fitzgerald recommend to avoid culture shock: 1. Give yourself some time – a few weeks, even – to move to your new place before your term or program starts. It really pays off to have some time to adjust to your new surroundings – especially if you’re in a big and bustling city like London – so that you’re not totally overwhelmed.

2. Have a good laugh at your mistakes and learn from them. Always be ready to apologize.

3. Don’t isolate yourself; get involved. Try to look out for other people in your class or program; if another program participant seems to be withdrawn, make a point to start a conversation.

4. Chances are you went to a different country with a goal or a dream in mind. Embrace everything and keep an open mind. Remember that no one is trying to force you to be a new person, only to accept (and enjoy!) new customs.

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

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2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

GAP Programs and Advisors

Photo Courtesy of African Leadership

hat if you could spend a year or a semester fulfilling a dream? Would you climb a mountain? Fight poverty or pollution? Learn a new language? Start a business? Explore your faith?

Check out the gap programs and advisors we’ve collected here. See which ones suit your needs, calendar, and pocketbook. We’ve tried to make them easy to compare in terms of staffing, cost, length, and financial aid. You can order more information from any of them by going to our website at https://www.teenlife.com/reader-response/ gap-ebook/.

A gap year or semester before college could be one of the most important steps into your future. It will help introduce you to new people, places, and ideas, and give you a boost toward that next important academic step. So what are you waiting for?

Start exploring!

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

15

e Academy at Watkinson School

cription: Part gap year, part post-graduate year, and wholly an extension of Watkinson’s unique educational philosophy,

Academy allows students to shape their own balance of studying the world and learning more about themselves. The lt is an enhanced ability to thrive independently in whatever college they choose.

THE ACADEMY AT WATKINSON SCHOOL

bsite:

missions contact:

http://www.watkinson.org/admissions/theacademy http://www.watkinson.org/admissions/theacademy Yassine Talhaoui, yassine_talhaoui@watkinson.org, 860 236 5618

mber of programs:

n/a

Watkinson School FAST FACTS

Part gap year, part post-graduate year, and wholly an extension of Watkinson’s unique educational philosophy, The Academy allows students to shape their own balance of studying the world and learning more about themselves. The result is an enhanced ability to thrive independently in whatever college they choose.

sion Length: year, part

Academic Year year, and wholly an extension of Watkinson’s unique ed post-graduate students their through own balance of studying the world and learning more abou ADMISSIONS Yassine Talhaoui | yassine_talhaoui@watkinson.org | sion Start: to shape September June CONTACT: 860-236-5618 bility to thrive independently in whatever college they choose.

tinations: STAFF:STUDENT travel/service trips offered to Cambodia,Based Dominican Republic and Uganda DESTINATION: in Hartford, Connecticut, with travel/service trips

ntent:

1:3

to Cambodia, Dominican Republic, and Uganda

Postgraduate Year, Academic, Arts, Community Service, Global Studies, Internships and http://www.watkinson.org/admissions/theacademy SESSION LENGTH: Academic Year (9 months) Work experience, Leadership Training, Travel/Culture, University of Hartford classes

Yassine

f:

using:

:t – Range: n/a

1:3 Talhaoui,

SESSION START: September

yassine_talhaoui@watkinson.org, 860 236 5618 CONTENT: Postgraduate Year, Academic, Arts, Community Service,

PRICE RANGE On Campus Housing

$37,000

ancial Aid:

$37,000 (withoutHOUSING: housing) Grants

Academic Year

ege Credit Option: Yes

Global Studies, Internships and Work Experience, Leadership Training, Travel/Culture, University of Hartford Classes On-campus Housing

FINANCIAL AID:

Grants

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications accepted on a rolling basis

COOL FACT: Academy students may take classes and earn college credit from the University of Hartford, Watkinson’s next-door Ex. Applications accepted from October-May (space permitting)

neighbor, combining the advantages of an excellent, small,

state-of-the-art independent school with the resources of Academy students may take classes andrenowned earn college credit from the University of

university.

COLLEGE CREDIT

licationSeptember process:YES

through June

ol fact: tford, Watkinson’s next-door neighbor, combiningto the Cambodia, advantages of an excellent, small, state-of-the-art travel/service trips offered Dominican Republic 123 ependent school with the resources of renowned universities and colleges.

and Ugan

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS Year, Academic, Arts, Community Service, Global Studie Postgraduate NOT APPLICABLE Work experience, Leadership Training, Travel/Culture, University of Ha Source: TeenLife.com

Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

AFRICAN CONSERVATION EXPERIENCE

FAST FACTS

ducational philosophy, ut themselves. The STAFF:STUDENT

1:8

www.conservationafrica.net

African Conservation Experience organizes conservation placements at wildlife projects in southern Africa. Gain practical experience in wildlife rehabilitation, veterinary medicine, wildlife research, marine conservation and game reserve management while having an amazing adventure!

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

Ellie Milton | info@conservationafrica.net

DESTINATION: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia SESSION LENGTH:

2 weeks to 3 months

SESSION START:

Year-round

CONTENT: Environmental Conservation, Special Interests, Internships

and Work Experience, Travel/Culture, Adventure/Trips,

Veterinary

PRICE RANGE $2,720-$10,030

HOUSING:

Homestay, Dorms, Cabins, Tents

FINANCIAL AID: None

COLLEGE CREDIT

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications accepted year-round

COOL FACT:

South Africa has 11 official languages as well as the highest biodiversity of all African countries. How’s that for cultural and natural diversity!

NO

nda

123

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS es, Internships and 14 artford classes Source: TeenLife.com

Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

ALLIANCE ABROAD GROUP http://www.allianceabroad.com/

FAST FACTS

Alliance Abroad Group (AAG) has been the leader in international recruitment for over 20 years. Our mission is to enrich the lives of international exchange participants, host companies, and partners by providing exceptional customer service and the best job and training opportunities in the international cultural exchange arena. We look forward to working with you in bringing stories to life through cultural exchange in the U.S. and abroad.

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

STAFF:STUDENT

1:1

Lily Stock | australia@allianceabroad.com

DESTINATION: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia SESSION LENGTH:

Academic Year, Other

SESSION START:

Year-round

CONTENT: Internships and Work experience

PRICE RANGE $1,500

HOUSING:

Hotel, Student apartments, Other

FINANCIAL AID: No APPLICATION PROCESS:

Rolling

COOL FACT:

Your job could include getting paid to swim with manatees for a day!

COLLEGE CREDIT

NO

123 NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

8

Source: TeenLife.com

Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY GAP PROGRAM http://www.american.edu/spexs/augap/index.cfm

FAST FACTS

The AU Gap Program features experiential learning through seminar classes and internships or service learning in Washington, D.C.—all while earning college credit.

Students can enroll in a single semester or take a year-long program focused on American Politics, Global Business, or International Affairs. Students do not need to be admitted to American University to enroll in the gap program.

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

STAFF:STUDENT

1:5

PRICE RANGE $9,919-$19,788

Lana Knox | augap@american.edu | 202-895-4859

DESTINATION: Washington, D.C. SESSION LENGTH:

1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 2 months, quarter, semester, academic year

SESSION START:

September, January

CONTENT: Academic, Community Service, Internships and

Work Experience HOUSING:

Dorms; students from the D.C. area may also live at home

FINANCIAL AID:

Private Loans

YES

APPLICATION PROCESS: Deadlines:

Summer 2016: March 15, 2016 (international applicants)

Fall 2016: May 15, 2016 (international and domestic applicants)

Spring 2017: October 30, 2016 (international and domestic

applicants)

123

COOL FACT:

COLLEGE CREDIT

Earn college credit and gain real world experience through an internship/ service learning!

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

2

Source: TeenLife.com

Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

BLYTH ACADEMY GLOBAL www.blythacademyglobal.com

FAST FACTS

STAFF:STUDENT

1:7

PRICE RANGE $11,190

COLLEGE CREDIT

Blyth Academy Global High School, a program offered by the largest independent high school in Canada, provides access to the natural, historical, artistic, and scientific wonders of Europe, Australasia, and Central America in one to four quarterly terms. This special program for grade 11, 12 and PG-year students, offers the very best experiential education available, in an affordable, safe, comfortable setting.

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

Sophie Grossman | 416-960-3552 x15 sophie.grossman@blytheducation.com

DESTINATION: Australia, Costa Rica, France, Greece, Italy, New Zealand,

Nicaragua, Peru, Spain, United Kingdom SESSION LENGTH:

Term, Semester, or Academic Year

SESSION START:

August, October, February, April

CONTENT: Academic, Community Service HOUSING:

Dorm, hotel, student apartments

FINANCIAL AID:

Yes

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications accepted year-round.

COOL FACT:

Optional excursions deepen students’ exposure to unique locations in every country!

NO

123 NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

1

Source: TeenLife.com

Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

THE CAPE ELEUTHERA INSTITUTE GAP YEAR PROGRAM http://www.ceibahamas.org/educational-programs/gap-year/

he CapeFAST Eleuthera Institute Gap Year Program FACTS

Come and live within a community of leaders, on a campus driven by sustainability.

We focus on personal growth, environmental education, expeditions and much more.

Using class time, immersion in nature, reflection and real work at a scientific institute, students gain the knowledge and tools to effect change.

Description (325 CHARACTERS WITH SPACES):

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

Karen Knight | US 609-945-0710 Ext 6209/BA 242-334-8552, karenknight@islandschool.org

Come and liveSTAFF:STUDENT within 1:5 a community of leaders, on a campus driven by sustainability. We focus on personal growth, nvironmental education, expeditions and much more. Using class time, immersion in nature, reflection and real work at a scientific institute, students gain the knowledge and tools to effect change.

DESTINATION: Eleuthera, The Bahamas

Website:

PRICE RANGE $7,845

SESSION LENGTH:

9 weeks

SESSION START:

August, January, and April

CONTENT: Environmental Education, Leadership, Expeditions,

Outdoor Skills, SCUBA Diving, Snorkeling, Internship,

Marine Conservation, Environmental Education, Reflection,

Community Service, Community Outreach

http://www.ceibahamas.org/educational-programs/gap-year/ HOUSING:

Dorms, tents during expeditions

dmissions contact: Karen Knight, US 609-945-0710 Ext 6209/BA 242-334-8552, arenknight@islandschool.org COLLEGE CREDIT NO

Number of programs: 3 123

ession Length: nine weeks NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

FINANCIAL AID:

Scholarships, Payment Terms

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications are available to download on the website.

Applications are accepted all year-round. Applications should be submitted two months before the start date of the desired semester.

COOL FACT:

The name Eleuthera, comes from the Greek word Eleutheria which means “Freedom.”

Cool fact: The name of the island we are located on, Eleuthera, comes from the Greek word Eleutheria which means ‘Freedom’.

3

ession Start:

Source: TeenLife.com

Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/ January,Request AprilMore & August

CARPE DIEM EDUCATION www.carpediemeducation.org

FAST FACTS

One of the only programs fully accredited through a major U.S. University and the American Gap Association, Carpe Diem combines experiential education, cultural exchange, and adventure travel to broaden students global perspective, develop interpersonal skills needed in college and beyond, and gain a deeper sense of self.

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

STAFF:STUDENT

1:5

PRICE RANGE $9,900-$13,400

Brent Bellamy | Brent@carpediemeducation.org

DESTINATION: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda,

Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Ecuador, Peru,

Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Southwestern U.S.,

Northern Mexico SESSION LENGTH:

3 months, 8 months

SESSION START:

September, February

NAME OF GAP PROGRAM

Description (325 CHARACTERS WITH SPACES): CONTENT: Community Service, Environmental Conservation, Website: www.carpediemeducation.org

Internships and Work Experience, Leadership Training, Admissions contact: Brent Bellamy, Brent@carpediemeducation.org

Travel/Culture, Adventure, Academic (all programs Number of programs: 8+

fully accredited through Portland State University) Session Length:

HOUSING: FINANCIAL AID:

COLLEGE CREDIT

YES

123 NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

Semester and Year long (3 months and 8 months)

Session Start: February, September Homestay, Dorms, Hotel, Cabins, Tents, Other Destinations: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Southwester US, Northern Mexico

FAFSA, Grants/Scholarships, Loans, Payment Terms Content: Community Service, Environmental Conservation, Special Interests, Internships and Work experience, Leadership Training, Travel/Culture, Adventure, Academic (all programs fully accredited through Portland State University)

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications accepted on rolling basis up to 4 weeks Staff: 5 to 1, max 6 to 1 pre-departure.

Application process includes 6 short-answer Housing: Homestay, Dorms, Hotel, Cabins, Tents, Other questions and hour-long phone interview.

Cost – Range: $9900 - $13400

COOL FACT:

Everyone will work with the leaders to organize a portion College Credit Option: Yes ofApplication theirprocess: own semester.

Applications accepted on rolling basis up to 4 weeks pre-departure. Application process

Financial Aid:

FAFSA, Grants/Scholarships, Loans, Payment Terms

includes 6 short answer questions and hour long over the phone interview.

Cool fact: One of the only programs fully accredited through a major US University and the American Gap Association; Carpe Diem combines experiential education, cultural exchange, and adventure travel to broaden students global perspective, develop interpersonal skills needed in college and beyond, and gain a deeper sense of self.

8+

Source: TeenLife.com

Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

CROSS CULTURAL SOLUTIONS

Cross Cultural Solutions- Gap Fact Sheet

http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/gap-year-programs

Description:

Expand your horizons through immersive service-based experiences with Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Expand your through immersive service-based Cross-Cultural CCS, the possibilities arehorizons endless.

We operate year-round inexperiences 10 excitingwith destinations across FASTWith FACTS Solutions. We operate year-round in 10 exciting destinations across Africa, Asia, and Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Join us for a Gap Year, Gap Semester Abroad and work with your Latin America. Join us for a Gap Year, Gap Semester Abroad and work with your new new community on community meaningfulonservice work in partnership with sustainable organizations. meaningful service work in partnership with sustainable organizations.

Our programs are committed to the community. You can serve on projects related Our programs are committed to the community. You can serve on projects related to Education & to Education & Literacy, Child Development, Global Health, Supporting People with Literacy, Child Development, Global Health, Supporting People with Disabilities, or will other areas.

Disabilities, or other areas.

Beyond your volunteer experience, the CCS staff Beyond your volunteer experience, the CCS staff will arrange unique Cross Cultural SolutionsGap Fact Sheet arrange unique cultural, education, and adventure activities cultural, for you. education, and STAFF:STUDENT adventure activities for you.

Description: Expand your horizons through immersive service-based experiences with Cross-Cultural Solutions.

6:1

The CCS in-country staff will guide you through your experience. You’ll live with With CCS, the possibilities are endless. We operate year-round in 10 exciting destinations across volunteers from around theand world in the exclusive CCSYear, Home-Base, distinctive home Africa, Asia, Latin America.

Join us for a Gap Gap Semestera Abroad and work with your The CCS in-countrywhere staff—will you through experience.

You’ll live with volunteersonfrom newbecome community on meaningful service work in partnership with sustainable organizations. you canguide truly part of your the community.

Engage in stimulating discussions life, culture, and healthcare facilitated by local experts; off the beaten around the world infamily the exclusive CCS Home-Base, a distinctive home get where you can path trulyby become Our programs are committed to the community. You can serve on projects related to Education & hiking a volcano Guatemala or dyeingGlobal batik fabric with local artesian inand Ghana; head Literacy, Child Development, Health, Supporting Peopleculture, with Disabilities, or healthcare otheror areas. part of the community.

Engage ininstimulating discussions on family life, off for an amazingBeyond trek at Machu or athesafari in Tanzania. your volunteerPicchu experience, CCS staff will arrange unique cultural, education, and

facilitated by local experts; get off the beaten adventure activitiespath for you.by hiking a volcano in Guatemala or dyeing batik fabric with local artesian in Ghana;The orCCS head off staff—will for an guide amazing trek at Machu Picchu or a safari in PRICE RANGE through your experience. You’ll live with volunteers from ADMISSIONS CONTACT: in-country Liz Hesterberg | you 800-380-4777 Tanzania. around the world in the exclusive CCS Home-Base, a distinctive home where you can truly become $11,500

Liz@crossculturalsolutions.org part of the community. Engage in stimulating discussions on family life, culture, and healthcare facilitated by local experts; get off the beaten path by hiking a volcano in Guatemala or dyeing batik fabric with local artesianCosta in Ghana; or head off for Guatemala, an amazing trek at MachuMorocco, Picchu or a safari DESTINATION: Brazil, Rica, Ghana, India, Peru,in Tanzania. Tanzania, and Thailand.

Website:

http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/gap-year-programs

Admissions contact:

Website: http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/gap-year-programs Liz Hesterberg 800.380.4777 SESSION LENGTH: Liz@crossculturalsolutions.org Semester - Academic Year Admissions contact:

Liz Hesterberg 800.380.4777 Liz@crossculturalsolutions.org

SESSION January –ofDecember Number of programs: oneNumber ofSTART: four optionsGlobal Spanish Diversity Africa, of programs: Choose from oneGap, four optionsGlobal Immersion, Gap, Spanish Immersion, Diversityof of Africa, or a or a COLLEGE CREDIT Choose from Custom Gap Custom Gap CONTENT: Community Service, Special Interests, Internships and

YES

Session Length:

Session Start:

Semester

123

Session Length: Semester - Academic Year Travel/Culture, Adventure/Trips,

Work experience, Postgraduate Year - Academic Year January Session Start: – December

Destinations: Brazil,Home-Base Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Morocco, Peru, Tanzania, and Thailand.

HOUSING:

January – December : Yes

FINANCIAL AID: CCS has Grants/Scholarships Cool fact: had volunteers of all ages participate in our programs, ranging from 2 to 90!

Destinations: Brazil, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Morocco, Peru, Tanzania, and Thailand.

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

Content:

4

Source: TeenLife.com

COOL FACT:

CCS has had volunteers of all ages participate in our programs, ranging from 2 to 90!

Community Service, Special Interests, Internships and Work experience, Travel/Culture, Adventure/Trips, Postgraduate Year Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

GLORIETA

FAST FACTS

STAFF:STUDENT

1:8

PRICE RANGE $5,000-$8,000

COLLEGE CREDIT

YES

123 NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

2

Source: TeenLife.com

http://www.glorieta.org/fall-spring/gap-year.php http://www.glorieta.org/wilderness/courses.php#wilderness-pro-semester Hig Glorieta Walkabout is nine-month program for 18-24 year olds that enables graduates to gain a unique outlook on the Christian life by stepping out of the norm and living life with a sharper focus and vision for the Kingdom. Participants will learn what it means to be a true disciple by following God, living without compromise, and escaping the trappings of this world. The Walkabout program is not a break from the “real world”; it’s designed to put the world in the perspective of a disciple; it’s a challenging commitment that will stretch each participant and inspire courage for the future as a disciple of Christ; and it could potentially change the course of a participant’s life forever.

We also offer semester-long courses for people 18 or older who want to work in the outdoor industry. Students will spend most of the semester in the backcountry learning hands-on, gaining personal experience, professional training, and earning certifications across the diversity of the industry. The program prepares participants to guide on a professional level.

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

Scott Chapman | 505-639-9717 | scott@glorieta.org

DESTINATION: USA Southwest SESSION LENGTH:

15-Week Semester and Academic Year

SESSION START:

August and January

CONTENT: This can be multi select – Academic, Community Service,

Special Interests, Internships and Work experience,

Leadership Training, Travel/Culture, Adventure/Trips,

Christian Discipleship

De

Pa en cha lea be

We

Adm cba

Nu

Ses

Ses

De

Co

HOUSING:

Dorms, Tents

FINANCIAL AID:

Payment Terms, Work Study

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Apply online year-round

Ho

COOL FACT:

We get lost in the woods on purpose so we can enjoy the beauty and challenge of being in nature!

Co

Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

Sta

HIGH MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE GAP SEMESTER www.hminet.org/gap

gh Mountain Institute Gap Semester

FAST FACTS

During HMI Gap, an 80-day journey through the Patagonia and the American West,

escription (325 CHARACTERS WITH SPACES): During HMI Gap, an 80-­day journey through the students pursue outdoor adventures, explore pressing environmental issues in the lands

atagonia and the American West, students pursue outdoor adventures, explore pressing they visit, and gain real-world experience effecting positive change in the conservation field. The semester combines in-depth outdoor rock climbing, experiential learning, and nvironmental issues in the lands they visit, and gain real-­world experience effecting positive participation in an intentional community while traveling through some of the most ange in the conservation field. The semester unites in-­depth outdoor rock climbing, experiential beautiful landscapes in the world. arning, and participation in an intentional community while traveling through some of the most eautiful landscapes in the world.

STAFF:STUDENT

1:3

ebsite:

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

www.hminet.org/gap

Becca Schild | rschild@hminet.org | 719-486-8200 x115 Chris Barlow | cbarlow@hminet.org | 719-486-8200 x112

DESTINATION: Chile, Argentina, United States

missions contact: Becca Schild, rschild@hminet.org, 719-486-8200 x115; Chris Barlow, SESSION LENGTH: Fall Semester arlow@hminet.org, 719-486-8200 x112 SESSION START: September

umber of programs: 1 PRICE RANGE $13,900

CONTENT: Academic, Community Service, Environmental Conservation,

Special Interests, Internships and Work experience, Leadership

Training, Travel/Culture, Adventure/Trips

ssion Length:

Semester,

ssion Start:

September – December

estinations:

HOUSING:

Tents, Hostel

FINANCIAL AID: Grants/Scholarships

Chile, Argentina, United States

APPLICATION PROCESS:

COLLEGE CREDIT

Rolling

ontent:

Service, Environmental Conservation, Special YES Academic, Community COOL FACT: Students get to rock climb on iconic desertInterests, towers andInternships

aff:

123 3:1

ousing:

remote alpine mountains in Patagonia. and Work experience, Leadership Training, Travel/Culture, Adventure/Trips Financial Aid: Grants/Scholarships College Credit Option: Yes

Tents, Hostel

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

ost – Range:

1

Source: TeenLife.com

Application process:

Applications accepted on a rolling basis

Cool fact: Patagonia.

Students get to rock climb on iconic desert towers and remote alpine mountains in

$13,900 Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

INNERPATHWORKS nerPathWorks

“find yourself” at college, you may be scription (325 CHARACTERS WITH SPACES): If you are expecting tohttp://www.innerpathworks.com/

appointed. Furthermore, investing in college before you know who you are and have a sense of why you are re does not work well for many young adults. Check out InnerPathWorks if you want to: discover who you InnerPathWorks is dedicated to helping individuals enjoy being themselves. Our ally are, gain a sense of vision, clarify what formal training and/or education you need and hone skills that lead FAST FACTS four-to-six month training program uses a variety of components such as connection success using your unique personality and gifts. with nature, understanding how both the brain and the mind work, leadership training, exploring personal creativity, advanced awareness training, ceremony and meaningful connections. Our individualized approach guides each student through this important transition into “real adulthood.”

ebsite:

http://www.innerpathworks.com/

ADMISSIONS CONTACT: Randy Russell | info@innerpathworks.com missions contact: Randy Russell info@innerpathworks.com STAFF:STUDENT 1:8 DESTINATION: United States mber of programs: 1 SESSION LENGTH:

Semester or Year

ssion Length:

Semester or SESSION Year START:

ssion Start:

CONTENT: Academic, Adventure/Trips January – December

PRICE RANGE HOUSING: stinations: $12,500United States

ntent:

FINANCIAL AID: Academic, Adventure/Trips

aff:

using:

1:8 COLLEGE CREDIT

YES

st – Range:

Homestay,

APPLICATION PROCESS: COOL FACT:

Dorms, Hotel, Cabins,

Year-round

Homestay, Dorms, Hotel, Cabins, Boat, Student apartments, Tents No Rolling A bonus is that we utilize one of the most beautiful and friendly environments in the lower 48 states as our Boat, Student apartments, Tents, Notand available, Other classroom: lakes, mountains, rivers, wildlife a great town.

$12,500 minimum

nancial Aid: 123 Not Available llege Credit Option: Yes NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

plication process:1

Rolling

Request More Info: ol fact: A bonus is that we www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/ utilize one of the most beautiful and friendly Source: TeenLife.com vironments in the lower 48 states as our classroom: lakes, mountains, rivers, wildlife and a

KIVU GAP YEAR www.kivugapyear.com

e

FAST FACTS

STAFF:STUDENT

1:7

We are an 8-month internship focused gap year for 17-21 year olds to travel to multiple destinations around the world. Our students desire to clarify their faith, discover their passions, and focus their career goals through home stays and internships.

Students gain over 900 hours of work experience and 150 hours of reflective leadership training. We focus on developing students’ emotional intelligence (EQ) and cultural intelligence (CQ) while immersing them in new cultures and neighborhoods.

It is a year outside of your comfort zone that will grow, stretch and change you!

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

Luke Parrott |970-403-6016 | luke@kivugapyear.com

DESTINATION: United States (Denver, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.),

Rwanda, Tanzania, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Peru, Bolivia.

New destinations added each year!

SESSION LENGTH:

PRICE RANGE $27,000

Academic Year

SESSION START: August CONTENT: Internships and Work Experience, Leadership Training,

Travel/Culture, Adventure/Trips HOUSING: Homestay

COLLEGE CREDIT

YES

FINANCIAL AID:

Scholarships, Payment Terms

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications accepted from September to March.

COOL FACT:

Hike Mount Kilimanjaro or Machu Picchu during your spring semester!

123 NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

1 Source: TeenLife.com

Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

LEAPYEAR www.leapnow.org

FAST FACTS

Spend 10 weeks exploring the amazing cultures of India or Latin America with a small cohort of students and experienced leaders. For the second semester, embark on a 12-week solo adventure! With our internship database of over 6,200 options, you can go anywhere and do anything.

LEAPYEAR

STAFF:STUDENT

1:5

ADMISSIONS CONTACT: Rebecca Carrillo | 707-431-7265 | info@leapnow.org Description (325 CHARACTERS WITH SPACES): Spend ten weeks exploring the amazing cultures of India or Latin America with a small cohort of students and DESTINATION: Chooseembark India on or aHonduras, Nicaragua experienced leaders. For the second semester, 12 week soloGuatemala, adventure! Withand our internship database

for your first semester.

Anywhere in the world for your of over 6200 options, you can go anywhere and do anything.

second semester!

Website: www.leapnow.org SESSION LENGTH: Academic Year Admissions contact: Rebecca Carrillo, 707-431-7265, info@leapnow.org SESSION START: September, January Number of programs: #2 Session Length: Academic Year,

PRICE RANGE $34,900

COLLEGE CREDIT

YES

CONTENT: Academic, Arts, Community Service, Environmental Session Start: January and September

Conservation, Internships and Work Experience,

Adventure/Trips Destinations: Choose IndiaTravel/Culture, or Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua for your 1st semester. Anywhere in the world for your second semester!

HOUSING: Homestay, Dorms, Hotels, Cabins Content: Academic, Arts, Community Service, Environmental Conservation, Internships and Work experience, Travel/Culture, Adventure/Trips FINANCIAL AID: Grants/Scholarships Staff: 5:1 APPLICATION PROCESS: Applications accepted on a rolling basis.

Housing: Homestay, Dorms, Hotel, Cabins, COOL FACT: A former LEAPNOW student recently won the Cost – Range: $34,900

CNN Hero of the Year Award.

Financial Aid: Grants/Scholarships, College Credit Option: Yes

123

Application process:

Accepts applications on a rolling basis.

Cool fact:

A former LEAPNOW student recently won the CNN Hero of the Year Award.

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

2 Source: TeenLife.com

Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

RALEIGH INTERNATIONAL www.raleighinternational.org

FAST FACTS

Do more than take a gap year. A Raleigh expedition isn’t a holiday. It’s inspiring, challenging and impactful. Live and work alongside remote communities to drive positive change where it is needed most. You could work on a community project, an environmental project and an exhilarating adventure challenge.

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

STAFF:STUDENT NOT AVAILABLE

+44(0)-20-7183-1270 | info@raleighinternational.org

DESTINATION: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Malaysian Borneo, Nepal, Tanzania SESSION LENGTH:

5 weeks, 7 weeks, 10 weeks

SESSION START:

February/March, June/July, October/November

CONTENT: Community Service, Environmental Conservation,

Adventure/Trips

PRICE RANGE $2,950-$4,764

HOUSING:

Homestays, Tents

FINANCIAL AID:

None

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications open all year-round.

COOL FACT:

Raleigh’s history of volunteering dates back to members of the British royal family, and, to date, 40,000 people have taken part in our programs.

COLLEGE CREDIT

NO

123

Cool fact: Raleigh's history of volunteering dates back to m date 40,000 people have taken part in our programs.

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

SEE RIGHT

Source: TeenLife.com

Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/

RUSTIC PATHWAYS

FAST FACTS

www.rusticpathways.com

Summit A

We empower students to develop a global perspective, build leadership skills, and grow into independent young adults. Programs include service learning, language immersion, career development, and internships. We employ local staff and foster lasting relationships with the communities in which we work, enabling our students to have immersive and authentic travel experiences.

Description (

immersion on academic cred

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

STAFF:STUDENT

1:6

Casey Atchley |440-983-7292 | casey@pathways.com

DESTINATION: Australia, Burma, Cambodia, China, Costa Rica,

Dominican Republic, Fiji, Ghana, India, Laos, Morocco,

Peru, Rwanda, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, United States

Website:

SESSION LENGTH:

Semester; can combine for full year

Admissions

SESSION START: Spring Fall Semester (September - December) and Spring Semester (February – May)

PRICE RANGE $11,000-$21,995

Number of p

CONTENT: Community Service, Environmental Conservation, Internships

and Work experience, Leadership Training, Travel/Culture,

Adventure/Trips

Session Len

COLLEGE CREDIT

NO

HOUSING:

Homestay, Dorms, Hotel

FINANCIAL AID:

Grants/Scholarships

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Accepts applications on a rolling basis

COOL FACT:

Rustic Pathways staff come from over 25 countries, and speak more than 50 different languages

Session Sta

Content:

123 NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

9+

Source: TeenLife.com

Destinations

Staff: Housing:

We empower students to develop a global perspec adults. Programs include service learning, languag Request More Info: www.teenlife.com/reader-response/gap-ebook/ local staff and foster lasting relationships with the c

mit Adventure

ription (325 CHARACTERS WITH SPACES): Gap Year participants will experience service, adventure and cultural

sion on Summit Adventure’s semester program. With Yosemite and the Andes as classrooms, participants can earn up to 16 mic credits in leadership, communication, spiritual formation, cross-cultural ministry and outdoor physical education.

SUMMIT ADVENTURE

ite:

www.summitadventure.com

ssions contact:

Jair Drooger, jair@summitadventure.com, 559-642-3899

Adventure

www.summitadventure.com

FAST ber of programs:

FACTS Gap Year participants will experience service, adventure and cultural immersion on #1 Summit Adventure’s semester program. With Yosemite and the Andes as classrooms, (325 CHARACTERS WITHparticipants SPACES): Gap participants experience service, adventur can earn up toYear 16 academic credits in will leadership, communication, spiritual

cross-cultural ministry and outdoor physical education. on Length:Adventure’s Semester Summit semesterformation, program.

With Yosemite and the Andes as classrooms, participants

dits in leadership, communication, spiritual formation, cross-cultural ministry and outdoor physical ed

on Start:

Spring Semester: January CONTACT: / Fall Semester: August ADMISSIONS Jair Drooger | jair@summitadventure.com | 559-642-3899

STAFF:STUDENT

nations:

DESTINATION: United States (Yosemite), Ecuador, Patagonia 3:1United States (Yosemite), Ecuador, Patagonia SESSION LENGTH: www.summitadventure.com

ent:

Semester

Leadership Training, Adventure/Trips, Service, Cultural Immersion

contact:

SESSION START:

Fall Semester: August , Spring Semester: January

Cultural Immersion

Jair 559-642-3899 3:1Drooger, jair@summitadventure.com, CONTENT: Leadership Training, Adventure/Trips, Service,

PRICE RANGE ng: Tents programs: #1Homestay, Cabins, HOUSING:

– Range:

ngth:

cial Aid:

$15,000

$15,000

Semester

Homestay, Cabins, Tents

FINANCIAL AID: Grants/Scholarships APPLICATION PROCESS:

Apply online: http://www.summitadventure.com/

Grants/Scholarships college-semester/

art: Spring Semester: January / FallThe Semester: August COOL FACT: highest point of the semester is over ge Credit Option: Yes COLLEGE CREDIT

19,000 feet (Cotapaxi, Ecuador).

cation process:YES Apply online: s: United Stateshttp://www.summitadventure.com/college-semester/ (Yosemite), Ecuador, Patagonia

fact:

The highest point of the semester is literally over 19,000 feet (Cotapaxi, Ecuador).

Leadership Training, Adventure/Trips, Service, Cultural Immersion 123 3:1

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

1

Homestay, Cabins, Tents

Source: TeenLife.com

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TAYLOR THE GAP www.taylorthegap.com

FAST FACTS

STAFF:STUDENT

1:1

Taylor The Gap is a customized service for students interested in expanding their horizons outside the traditional educational track. Consulting services include: an initial assessment of students’ passions and interests, vetting of and matching with gap programs, connecting with former alumnae, application assistance, and evaluation.

International and domestic opportunities include volunteer service, work/ internships, travel, language immersions, academic programs, environmental/conservation, outdoor wilderness and adventure, as well as specialty activities.

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

Marion Taylor | 303-588-2630 | 5887 Woodbourne Hollow Rd, Boulder, Colorado 80301

DESTINATION: Worldwide (except Middle East countries currently) SESSION START:

PRICE RANGE $300-$800

COLLEGE CREDIT

NOT APPLICABLE

Year-round

CONTENT: Community and Volunteer Service, Language Immersion,

Wilderness Adventure, Travel, Work and Internships,

and more.

FINANCIAL AID: None APPLICATION PROCESS:

Contact Marion via email through website address, Skype, or phone. Complete questionnaire and submit online or person. One-on-one communication until placement.

COOL FACT:

Marion volunteered for 2 months in Rwanda and Tanzania working with women’s co-ops for her own “gap”.

123

Financial Aid:

None

College Credit Option: NA Application process: Review website, contact Marion via email through website address, skype, or phone.

Complete questionnaire and submit online or in person. One-on-one communication until placement.

Cool fact: This past Fall, Marion volunteered for 2 months in Rwanda and Tanzania working with women’s co-ops experiencing her own “gap”.

Your logo here:

NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

NOT APPLICABLE Source: TeenLife.com

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UNCOLLEGE www.uncollege.org

FAST FACTS

UnCollege is a social movement that challenges the idea that college is the only path to success. Our Gap Year program is a complete skill-building regimen designed to equip young adults to succeed in the 21st century through a blend of cultural immersion, one-on-one coaching, skill building, and professional internship experience.

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

STAFF:STUDENT

1:3

PRICE RANGE $16,000

COLLEGE CREDIT

NO

Cody Hartley | 44 Tehama Street | San Francisco, CA 94105

DESTINATION: Brazil, Indonesia, México SESSION LENGTH:

Semester, 6 months, 9 months

SESSION START:

January, August, October

CONTENT: 21st Century Skill Building, Personal Effectiveness Training,

One on One Coaching, Mentorship, Portfolio Development,

Arts, Community Service, Internships and Work Experience,

Leadership Training, Travel/Culture, Postgraduate Year HOUSING: Dorms FINANCIAL AID:

Grants/Scholarships, Federal Student Loan Repayment up to $2750

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications accepted year-round. Deposit due at least 90 days prior to the start of the term.

COOL FACT:

The UnCollege Gap Year is the only gap year program in the world which combines cultural immersion, one-on-one coaching, skill building, and professional internship experience.

123 NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

3 Source: TeenLife.com

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WINTERLINE GLOBAL SKILLS PROGRAM www.winterline.com

FAST FACTS

Winterline is a 9-month global gap program that offers high school graduates and young adults the opportunity to step out of the “rush to and through college” to explore what they really want to do with their lives. Students visit 10 countries and learn 100 plus real-world skills designed to equip them to live independently, identify their passions, and build confidence.

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

STAFF:STUDENT

3:8 TO 1:10

Susie Childs | 888-737-4226 | Susie@winterline.com

DESTINATION: U.S., Panama, Costa Rica, Thailand, India, Cambodia,

Spain, Germany, Amsterdam, Austria SESSION LENGTH:

9 months

SESSION START: September

PRICE RANGE $55,000

COLLEGE CREDIT

NO

CONTENT: 100 Skills: the Arts, Environmental Conservation, Caregiving,

Leadership Training, Travel/Culture, Real-world Skills,

Adventure/Trips, Entrepreneurship, Media & Communication,

Teamwork, Making and Building, and more!

HOUSING:

Homestays, Dorms, Hostels, Hotels, Tents, Lodges

FINANCIAL AID:

Scholarships

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Rolling applications (space permitting)

COOL FACT:

Winterline partners with world-class organizations around the globe that work with us to deliver the skills that make our program unique. This is a gap year like no other.

123 NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

1

Source: TeenLife.com

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YOUNG JUDAEA www.youngjudaea.org

FAST FACTS

STAFF:STUDENT

1:7

Expand your mind, your horizons, and your life experience as you discover another culture. Volunteer, study, and develop your Jewish identity before heading off to college. Young Judaea Year Course, the most established gap year in Israel, gives you the opportunity to step out into the world, gain valuable life skills, and begin the transition to independence.

You’ll earn up to 30 college credits while learning Hebrew, participating in life changing activities, and living with peers from the United States, Israel, and around the world.

Do all this while building lifelong friendships and having the time of your life!

ADMISSIONS CONTACT:

Rachel Jetter | 1-866-599-2534 | yearcourse@youngjudaea.org

DESTINATION: Israel SESSION LENGTH:

PRICE RANGE $23,000-$24,000

Academic Year

SESSION START: September CONTENT: Travel/Culture, Volunteer, Community Service, Academic,

Leadership Training HOUSING:

Student Apartments

FINANCIAL AID: Grants/Scholarships

COLLEGE CREDIT

YES

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications accepted from October-July (space permitting)

COOL FACT:

With our add-on programs you get to visit Morocco, Italy, Greece, Poland, or Rwanda!

123 NUMBER OF PROGRAMS

1

with add-on programs and specialty tracks Source: TeenLife.com

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Take it from this gap-year mom, it works

By Susan Moeller There are lots of reasons for your child to take a gap year.

He’s worn out just from getting into college and needs a break before buckling down again. She needs more maturity to handle independence. He’s struggling with academics and needs to learn to manage time. She wants to find out if she really wants to be a veterinarian.

As a parent, I’m a big fan of gap years. Two of my three children took one, for reasons that were both similar and quite different. Both had been in boarding school and really wanted a year that did not involve living in a dorm. One wanted adventure and went abroad; the other was ready to be home and working. For both of them, there were things that worked out great and some that, well, were complicated. And knowing what I know now might have made a difference.

36

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

So what should you think about if your child comes home and starts talking gap year?

Here’s my list.

1. Go through the college application process anyway. No matter how your child decides to spend the first year after high school, it’s a lot easier to do applications, get recommendations, take tests and moan about essays when you have the support of teachers, guidance counselors and peers.

That said, it’s never too early to ask about a school’s deferment policies and to find out how the school feels about gap kids. Gaps are becoming much more popular, so colleges and universities have become more flexible and are even encouraging kids to take gap years.

2. Be clear if or how a gap year could affect college financial aid or scholarships. Some schools will hold scholarships for a year, and some are even offering grants for gap years. You will, however, have to refile financial aid forms such as the FAFSA if your child defers.

3. Set some gap year goals together with your child – really, try to be all on the same page.

And here is where, as parents, we need a big dose of realism. While you are imagining all those museums, language classes and ecological adventures your child may be thinking about other cultural adventures, such as nearby ski mountains, tropical beaches, and lower drinking ages. So if your child is taking a gap, what’s the goal? Learn a language? Support a cause? Earn money? Explore an interest such as medicine or art? What are everyone’s expectations, and what are the consequences of, say, going skiing three days a week rather than attending French class?

4. And speaking of realism, how much structure does your child need? Take a close look at gap programs. Some have more structure than a typical freshman year and some far less. If your child isn’t ready for dorm life, is she ready to be in an apartment in a strange city getting herself to class on the tram? Will he just be frustrated in a total Spanish immersion program? How much mentoring or supervision is available? Resiliency and independence are fine, but make sure there is enough support to guarantee that your child realizes some success. And do some role-playing. What’s the plan when your child loses her ATM card in a strange city late at night or, in the case of one of my daughters, has landlord problems in Florence? How will your big-hearted volunteer cope with compassion fatigue or avoid adopting all those homeless pets?

5 . Let’s talk money. Even if you can afford to make this a free ride, don’t. We all do better at anything in which we have a vested interest. If you’re going to spend large or small on a gap program, ask your child to make some kind of contribution.

If an 18-year-old really understands how long it takes to earn the money, it will mean a heck of a lot more. And don’t think of a gap as having to be an entire year traveling to exotic ports. There are plenty of less expensive ideas and programs.

Your child can work part of the time and help pay for any program or adventure.

6. Imagine beyond the exotic. One of my daughters wanted to buy a horse, so she got a retail job and lived at home with me – which, by the time your child gets to the end of senior year, might be one of your worst nightmares. But we negotiated how to live as (mostly) roommates. I certainly still had a few sleepless nights. But it worked, and we both learned a lot about trust, sharing space, and each other. Her job gave her a far more realistic view of life and what it takes to get the things you want than a year of college might have.

7. Even if your child stays close to home, consider some kind of adventure. It could be a language class, working in a lab, taking an offbeat class at community college, or hiking nearby peaks. You want this year to be an experience that fosters maturity but also has some adventure, independence, and fun (you know, like college). Besides, you and your child are both going to need something awesome to talk about when everyone else is home from college over Thanksgiving.

8. Don’t panic. This is likely to turn out to be terrific. Most kids who take gap years return to college refreshed and directed and do well.

There’s no question my kids learned things. It helped one get ready to hit the ground running freshman year and the other to know what she didn’t want (saving what might have been misspent tuition.) And yes, you should be ready for surprises. Perhaps your veterinary student will discover she faints at the sight of blood and just wants to be a musician. Think of a gap year as preventive medicine before you’ve paid freshman year tuition.

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

37

Find your GAP YEAR in your own back yard

By Bill O’Neill Spending months working on a farm in New Zealand or hiking the Appalachian Trail can be the adventure of a lifetime, but it’s possible to find meaningful challenges without getting a passport or even hitting the highway.

It could be a matter of finances or a low threshold for exotic places. For some students, a break from school close to home is a better fit.

“You might not live in a different culture, but you still can learn about a different culture right in your own backyard,” said Marion Taylor, owner and founder of Taylor the Gap, a consulting service that helps students plan and implement gap programs. “There are a plethora of options that are stateside. What matters is that 38

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

you get outside your comfort zone in terms of your day-to-day life.”

Another gap-year consultant, Jennifer Haines, founder of Alternative U, LLC, agrees. “What’s most important is that you push whatever your comfort zone is, whether it’s being around new people or trying new things,” she said.

Many of the benefits of a gap year can be gained whether you’re on a new continent or in the next town.

“Sometimes a gap year is a first step of independence,” said Taylor. “If you’re living on your own,

“MANY OF THE BENEFITS OF A GAP YEAR CAN BE GAINED WHETHER YOU’RE ON A NEW CONTINENT OR IN THE NEXT TOWN” you learn how to budget and how to do cooking and laundry. It’s all about problem-solving.

“You can be in a situation where you live and work as a team, like with Americorps. You learn about your boundaries and limitations and what you need to be able to cope.”

There can be tremendous benefits in doing close-tohome apprenticeships and internships, said Haines.

“Most 18-year-olds have no idea what they want to do.

Taking a gap year allows them to focus their interests.

If you haven’t been in school for a year, you appreciate it more. Students are ready to hit the ground running when they come back.

“Sometimes connections you make will lead to something better. I know someone who was looking for a babysitting job and ended up with a graphic-design internship. The more skills you build, the more you can use them down the road.”

“The time between high school and college is a critical time where children need to explore, experiment, and gain valuable work and life experience,” said Tim Elmore, founder and president of Growing Leaders, an organization that helps students build leadership skills.

“Students who participate in a working gap year are often better prepared for college and a potential career because during this time they begin to look at the bigger picture. Often, kids move from one pressurized environment (high school) to another (college) and don’t have time to think or reflect on who they are and what they want to do. A gap year equips them to better find and further explore their strengths, rather than jumping from one thing to the other without digging in their heels a bit.”

In terms of finding a gap-year opportunity close to home, Taylor said there are “tons of opportunities, but sometimes people need to be creative.”

In addition to Americorps, a domestic Peace Corps-style service program that accepts about 75,000 people a year, she recommends City Year, in which young people work with lower-income school children in 27 cities around the country.

Also, the American Conservation Experience offers opportunities at several national parks such as Grand Canyon.

Habitat for Humanity provides volunteer opportunities through 1,400 affiliates in the United States. Idealist.org lets you search for internships and jobs in specific locations.

Taylor said online searches can help you find chances for gap opportunities in politics, agriculture, marine biology and culinary arts – or just about anything else that matches your interest.

One of Haines’ favorite gap-year options close to her Ann Arbor, Mich., home is Wheels for Workers, a Detroit nonprofit organization that teaches auto repair skills to 18- to 28-year-olds.

“It’s not a typical gap year, but for some kids this is really exciting,” she said.

Other favorites are The Mycelium School in Asheville, N.C., which focuses on social entrepreneurship, and the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colo., where college-age students can work for up to eight months. “Rather than becoming a ski bum, there are strict rules, and you have a safe place to live,” Haines said.

“A gap year doesn’t have to cost a lot,” she said.

“Many organizations have scholarships to help pay for a gap year.” The website of the American Gap Year Association also offers tips on fundraising to help pay for a gap-year experience.

2016 TEENLIFE GUIDE TO GAP YEAR PROGRAMS

39

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