Gap Year Association

Welcome to the Home for GYA's Membership

We're so excited to bring you and all of our community members into one place for the first time ever. Here you'll find networking opportunities, a forum for professional groups, news, events, and programs. We encourage you to post questions, comments, and photos into the main hub & individual groups/forums.

EXISTING MEMBERS: as we switch to Mighty Networks, their systems will require you to purchase your next year's membership dues. Ethan will be sending emails over the coming week with further instructions. For most members this will mean a few free months as we make this exciting transition! We hope you'll find this platform easy to navigate as it will also host our 2021 Gap Year Conference.

** To access program Public Profile Pages or access the Accreditation Application, visit here: https://www.gapyearassociation.org/dashboard

NEW MEMBERS: please feel free to browse and purchase here, through Mighty Networks. This will be the home for all networking and membership benefits for the Association!

About GYA

Mission

To maximize the potential of young adults, through accessible and meaningful gap year opportunities.

Vision

A semester of gap year time, with access to college credit & financial aid, for every high school graduate.

What We Do

Founded in 2012, the Gap Year Association is the only national nonprofit working to coordinate the growing Gap Year Movement. As a public benefit not-for-profit Association with members, we believe that all intentional gap years have significant and positive practical outcomes, whether independent or as part of a formal program. The GYA focuses on four core areas: Research, Equity & Access, Resources, and finally Standards and Accreditation. Each year we advance gap year research with member-initiatives, an annual State of the Field Survey, and regularly direct larger research efforts such as the 2015 and 2020 National Alumni Survey. We also believe strongly that young adults of all walks of life benefit from an intentional gap year and thus work to promote scholarships, as well as inclusivity efforts within our membership and the broader community. In fact, it is our aspiration that all gap year students should have access to a semester worth of transferable college credit that is supported with access to FAFSA dollars - college may not be right for everyone, but a quality gap year will profoundly impact many more than just the student who takes one. Finally, the GYA is the Standards Development Organization for Gap Year Education in the US, as recognized by the US Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.

Starting on the right note

We offer a variety of different membership levels to provide our members with the best resources for their specific role. As such, each membership level contains different set of unique benefits. Choosing the right membership levels can insure that you have the right tools for your success. Please review our membership options carefully below. Don't see an option that fits you? Let us know!

All members:

Are eligible to serve on one of our committees: STANDARDS & ACCREDITATION, RESEARCH, SUSTAINABILITY, HIGHER EDUCATION, MEMBERSHIP, ALUM, FAIR TRADE LEARNING, DEIA, INCLUSION & ACCESS.
Are invited to submit content for review in GYA publications
Are invited to nominate an individual for volunteer leadership positions, coordinating efforts to educate about the gap year in their State
Are invited to nominate award winners for GYA’s annual awards: KARL HAIGLER EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AWARD; OUTSTANDING SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS IN GAP YEAR PROGRAMMING; ADVANCING THE GAP YEAR MOVEMENT; ACCESSIBILITY FOR GAP YEAR PARTICIPATION; INNOVATION IN GAP YEAR PROGRAMMING; CORNELIUS BULL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD; and the ALUMNI AMBASSADOR AWARD.

Click on our Membership Opportunities below to learn more about each designation: