Gap Year Association

Thrilled to spend the weekend at the Minnesota School Counselor Association in Duluth, Minnesota representing gap years and meeting with educators across the state of Minnesota. We're here with our colleagues from Outward Bound USA and Gap Year Association Matt Kraska and Adam Salzman led a session on how gap years increase college and career readiness. #gapyear #meaningfultravel #travelandthrive #aexp #studyabroad #outwardbound #adventureawaits

Thank you to our community and followers for nominating fellow professionals who you think would benefit from learning more about the gap year option. During Gap Year Exploration Month, professionals who work in schools can join GYA for just $10, unlocking exclusive tools to guide students on gap year options. Plus, they’ll be entered into a raffle for exciting travel prizes from our program partners! ?? Friday Favor: Think of that one educator or school counselor who could make a real impact with the right resources—and nominate them at the link here: https://lnkd.in/ernnDJJk #explorethegapyear #schoolcounselors

We love when gap year stories like this come across our feed - especially during Gap Year Exploration Month! Amherst College profiles alum Jennifer Acker on her professional journey to becoming an author. Her gap year not only informed her career path (nudging her away from hard sciences and towards anthropology) but also inspired her first novel. “The Limits of the World” was largely inspired by the immigration story of her husband's family, and her time in Kenya during her gap year. Jennifer's story underscores the broader benefits of a gap year: it cultivates adaptability, cross-cultural insight, and a capacity for self-directed growth, all of which enhance career exploration and can lead to a deeper sense of purpose. #explorethegapyear

Congrats to gap year alum Maya Mor of Girls Run Global for this feature in People! During her gap year, Maya planned to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and travel through East Africa. On her trip she decided to launch a non-profit to teaching girls running and life skills. Maya is an inspiring example of how one can use their gap year to make a positive difference in the world!

We love seeing posts like these during Gap Year Exploration Month - thank you, Kelley, for educating others in your sphere of influence and encouraging folks to #explorethegapyear!

? Exciting Scholarship News! ? In celebration of Gap Year Exploration Month, we're thrilled to announce TWO amazing scholarship opportunities to make your gap year dreams come true! ?? Tortuga Backpacks Gap Year Scholarship Win $2,500 + a Tortuga travel backpack to kickstart your 2025 gap year adventure, thanks to our friends at Tortuga Backpacks for continuing to champion accessible travel and experiential learning. ?? Gap Year Sustainability Scholarship For students passionate about sustainability and environmental stewardship, we’ve launched a new scholarship fund, designed by our Sustainability Committee Co-Chair, Ryan Allen of Irish Gap Year. Big thanks to everyone who contributed to the 2024 Experiential Challenge Campaign, which is helping to seed this scholarship. Share this widely with students you know who are planning a gap year. Find details and application forms here: https://lnkd.in/gDc-Tipx

Congrats to Seth Kessler of GapWell, Ivey Patton, Gap Year Basecamp and Blake Boles on getting quoted in this feature in the September print edition of Town and Country magazine. While the title of the article is a bit misleading, the content tells several success stories of students who took gap time or decided not to go to college in favor of pursuing a passion and the positive outcomes of these case studies. As parent Natalie Gagnon states in the piece, "...we are pro-college for the right reasons and pro-experience. There's value in education always. At the same time, there's not one right path. Expanding your mind and being engaged and curious in the world and being a critical thinker - that's the point." This article will be on newstands throughout Gap Year Exploration Month this October! Go check it out!

GYA board member Julia Rogers joined Lauren Tingle of Counselor Clique for an insightful podcast episode all about educating high school counselors on how to help students explore gap year opportunities.? ? In this episode, Lauren and Julia dive into how a gap year can be a transformative experience for young people, from personal growth to building future career skills. If you're a school counselor new to the gap year option, this is a must-listen! It's also a perfect reminder to join GYA during our Gap Year Exploration Month membership special ($10 for an annual membership for school counselors and k-12 educators!). Check out the full episode here or wherever?you find your favorite podcasts!? https://lnkd.in/eTq52Tgt ?#ExploreTheGapYear?

Do you think gap years are just for the youngin's ? Heck no! We are so excited to feature friends of the gap year community, James Bridge and his wife Johana, who are currently on a family gap year with their young daughter. So far they have spent time on Johana's family farm in Colombia, taken road trips and lived in several countries. They are spending their time learning Spanish, prioritizing health and wellness, taking road trips, and making music along the way. They've also started a website hellogapyear.com to help families with similar gap year dreams. Check it out! As part of our Gap Year Exploration Month video series, we’re sharing stories like theirs to show how gap years can be transformative for families too! Whether you're considering a solo journey or a family adventure, the possibilities are endless. Have you ever considered a family gap year? Where would you go?

School counselors are at the heart of helping students make informed decisions about their futures. Similarly, educators create special connections with students and become trusted mentors in this formative time in life. The Gap Year Association (GYA) is extending a specific invitation to this community of impactful professionals: Join GYA! We keep hearing there is a need for more high-quality information and education on the gap yar option, and as luck would have it, GYA is ready to serve you with invaluable resources to guide your students.? ?? As part of Gap Year Exploration Month, GYA is offering a membership special for high school counselors and K-12 educators— $10 for an annual membership. In addition to sharable resources for your students, access to educational content and professional networking, new members are entered into a raffle for a swag pack containing over $500 worth of goodies! ?? If you or someone you know is passionate about empowering students to explore gap years, now’s the perfect time to join GYA and take advantage of this offer.?Learn more and join here: https://lnkd.in/eJU9VvWX