How to Raise Money for Your Gap Year by Megan Lee By: Jamie Shaw from www.2moveabroad.com Raising money for a Gap Year is achievable for anyone willing to put in a little bit of time and effort out of their already busy school schedule. With proper planning and the right kind of help anyone can afford a Gap Year or have it paid for by their fund raising activities. The key is finding all the available resources you have at your disposal to reduce your travel cost and other out of pocket expenses. Let’s take a look at all the…
Self-Assessment Tool for Diversity, Inclusion, & Access 2019 by Elizabeth Bezark What is the DEIA Self-Assessment Tool? Over the course of two years, the Gap Year Association’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) Committee developed a comprehensive Self-Assessment Tool to encourage Gap Year Provider members of GYA to reflect and improve on their DEIA practices in seven key areas. Participating in the self-assessment will deepen Gap Year Providers’ already-existing commitment to leadership within and evolution of the Gap Year Movement through increasing DEIA practices. Read on to see what it’s all about. How does it work? The guided assessment provides…
Why a Passion for Learning is Your Best Gap Year Souvenir by Megan Lee There’s that pair of comfy traveler pants – wild patterns with cinched waists and ankles. Or the prints of beautiful artwork made by a local you conversed briefly with. There’s the magnet for mom, the T-shirt for baby bro, and the precious charm bracelet you mentally commit to never losing. While all of these mementos have value and – hopefully won’t end up in the bottom of a dusty box in the attic as their fate – there’s one incredibly powerful souvenir that your Gap Year…
How to Find the Best Work for Your Gap Year by Amanda Wilks Gap Years are a great opportunity to get to know yourself, and find out what truly makes you tick. You can use these months to prepare for college, and gain some experience for the years ahead. It’s good chance to try out different jobs, before you figure out what field suits and settle in. If you’re looking to find work during your Gap Year, you should know beforehand what it is you want. It’s a good idea to make out a plan before your start your Gap…
How to Support Your Traveling Student From Home by Megan Lee Well done! Despite feeling nerves like never before and wanting nothing more than to squeeze your kid tight and never let go, you’ve managed to support your child as they’ve gone through the (admittedly-more-arduous-than-you-anticipated) process of preparing for a Gap Year. But now they’ve taken off from JFK/SFO/ATL, and are en-route to the learning experience of a lifetime. So, now what? Even though you’re thousands of miles away, you, as a parent, will still play a critical role in the success of your child’s Gap Year. As per usual,…
Should I go to College After my Gap Year? by Megan Lee You’ve tackled the world. You’ve marched confidently off the beaten path (even if your heart broke a little as your friends all shared first-year experiences as college freshmen). You’ve grown leaps and bounds, and are excited at the prospect of continuing to grow and learn. But you’re wondering: is college the next best move for me in my life? Is it a conducive environment to the type of growing and learning I want to do? The Value of a College Degree There are a lot of benefits to…
How to Put a Gap Year on Your Resume by Megan Lee Your backpack is officially empty and your socks no longer smell like the plague. You’re settling into life back home and are eagerly looking to the next steps in life. OR – you’re at the stage of life where you peek into your Gap Year memory box only when you’re feeling particularly nostalgic. Whether you completed your trip yesterday, yesteryear, or yester-decade, here’s the advice you need to add some pop to that black and white list of credentials. General Gap Year Resume Tips: No matter if you’re…
How to Bootstrap a Solo Gap Year by Blake Boles If you have almost no money, how can you fund a self-designed Gap Year experience? Most give up. Some get really creative. Victor Saad was 25 years old and seriously considering MBA programs when he decided that he could get a better learning experience—and spend much less money—by designing his own professional gap year, or in his words, a “self-made master’s degree.” He made plans to quit his job and take 12 business apprenticeships over the course of 12 months. But he had one big problem: money. Victor’s adventures would…
Letting Your Child Take a Gap Year: Overcoming Fears for Parents by Megan Lee Letting Kids Go is Hard Especially when they’re off to do things that we have not done ourselves.If you took a gap year when you were young, then it’s likely that you able to see this adventure from your child’s perspective (maybe better than they are!) Even so, you have worries, it’s natural. If you haven’t traveled, then those fears will be magnified and the unknown will seem scarier than it really is. The best thing you can do in the face of your fears is…
5 Steps to Being Prepared for Anything on Your Gap Year by GYA Admin For many people, their gap year is their first solo journey in the world. It’s a good idea to be thinking ahead and and putting some effort into becoming prepared in advance of your gap year. You’ve heard the saying, “Fortune favors the prepared,” this is true, so is my Uncle Dick’s maxim, “The 7 P’s” (Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance). With that in mind, here are five ways that you can be prepared for anything when you travel. Educate Yourself There is no…