Insetting vs Offsetting Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Daniel Ponce-Taylor Students that participate in gap year programs can emit more CO2 than some of the communities in which they engage emit in an entire year. There is no way around the fact that our field activities emit a lot of carbon when traveling to remote locations. As an industry, we must do something about that! 2020 and 2021 have seen an increase in climate change-related disasters; climate change is real, is here, and it affects all communities, affluent and low-income alike. California saw the largest wildfire season in modern history in…
Planning
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Gap Year: The Active Learning Process by Elizabeth Bezark Ever since I started curating and editing the GYA blog, the rest of the GYA team has heard time and time again my obsession with the active voice. Action verbs produce strong writing. If my bio on the GYA website didn’t focus on my work in global education and Fair Trade Learning, it would express my strong desire to make the world a better-written place. What does this have to do with experiential education? Keep reading, you’ll see! The terms experiential education, comfort…
Earning College Credit on a Gap Year by Vanessa Zuidema The COVID-19 pandemic served to exacerbate and expose existing fissures in our higher education system. Costs are skyrocketing, while the financial burden on students and recent grads has become overwhelming. In 2020 and 2021, the number of students opting to take a gap year increased significantly compared to previous years. For some this was the chosen path: a journey they planned for some time with family and school counselors. For others, however, it was a default reaction to a year of lockdowns and “zoom school.” A year in which the…
The Tee on Taking a Gap Year for Golf by Jordan Fuller Many people aren’t ready to commit to over $100,000 in student loans for a degree they’re not sure they want at a college they’re not 100% sure they want to attend. Whether it’s a love of sports and desire to play collegiately (or even professionally), or desire for great life experience, a gap year between high school and college can provide an incredibly effective way to mentally and physically develop. I spent my gap year trying to develop my golf skills to see if I could conceivably go…
Letter to GYA Dancers by Dominique Robinson, Director of Pizarts Dance Gap Year When I decided to pursue a career in dance, I wasn’t aware of the many avenues I could explore. In today’s culture we as artists have an unlimited amount of resources that inspire and educate us to absorb, process, and express our individuality. Even so, all the information out there can often paralyze dancers, sending them into a whirlwind of confusion: Where do I fit in? What am I trying to say? How do I brand myself? Why do I need to brand myself? The questions that…
How to Cultivate Financial Literacy for Your Gap Year By Susan Doktor There’s a light I can see as plainly as the sign on a Waffle House through my bi-focal rearview mirror: I should have learned about money when I was young. I’m not saying I shouldn’t have dabbled in several languages or learned to wield an SLR camera one summer term. And I’m not saying you shouldn’t work at an aquarium during your gap year if marine biology is your passion. However, learning about finances early in life will help you make sense of your paycheck. It will make…
Bruce Palmer of NOLS: On the Value of a Gap Year At this year’s GYA Conference I caught up with Bruce Palmer, long time director of GYA Accredited Program, National Outdoor Leadership School director and father of a student who completed a NOLS program. We talked about the importance of outdoor education, Gap Years and the value of this kind of experience in the life of a young person. Please tell us a little bit about who you are I’m the Director of Admissions and Marketing at NOLS and have worked with the organization for over 26 years. Previously I…
8 Reasons to Take a Gap Year by GYA Admin Taking a gap year in certain countries like the UK, Australia, and New Zealand is a right of passage that many teenage and early twenty somethings take advantage of. Taking that time to travel the world, volunteer, work, and have worldly experiences is said to prepare these young men and women for the rest of their lives. Gap years are highly misconstrued in other parts of the world though, in particular the United States. If you live in a country where a gap year is not part of the normal…
Finding Money For Your Gap Year by Megan Lee Unfortunately, most students don’t wake up with extra thousands of dollars lying around to spend on purchasing whatever they want. Unless you planted a coin as a kid that later grew into a money tree, you’ll probably need to plan in advance for footing your gap year bill. Traveling CAN cost you a pretty penny. Many of the world’s most expensive cities lie outside of the United States, yet remain popular gap year destinations among students. Does this mean that there are a bunch of cold, hungry, and broke international students fluttering…
Exploring the World & Myself: Why I’m Taking a Gap Year by Sophia de Bruin Everyone has different reasons for taking a gap year – whether it be simply a need for adventure and travel or a break from school. Preparing to begin my Gap Year has caused me to reflect on the reasons I decided to initially embark upon this crazy adventure. Like many things, my decision to take a Gap Year started with high school. I’ll be honest – high school was not at all an easy or enjoyable time in my life. While I did make some…