Making Meaningful Connections Through Language Barriers by Sophia De Bruin Every part of traveling somewhere new presents it’s own challenges, whether it be understanding the local custom of haggling in markets in Morocco or distinguishing between local dialects in India. One of the most exciting, and arguably the most challenging, parts of traveling to different places around the world is learning how to communicate and make connections with people who don’t speak the same language. For some, this means relying on the power a game of soccer can have in making new friends, for others it means connecting through different…
Gap Year Benefits
Interview With a Gap Year Student with Kai Millici WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE YOU? WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS YEAR? I am living in a small town called Imbaya in a northern region of Ecuador. My program, Global Citizen Year, placed me with a host family where I have a mom, dad, a brother and a sister who are all really involved in the community. I live with them and work in the afternoons with my mom at the Caja de Ahorro y Credito, which is a small credit union for the town. Right now the members are…
Carpe Diem Education: Six Months in Ecuador, Peru, and Tanzania by Jack D, shared with us by Carpe Diem Education. You can read the original here. “So, how was your year abroad?” It’s a loaded question, and one that I still – three months after landing back in New Orleans – struggle to answer adequately. I haven’t given up, though; whenever it comes up, I sing the year’s praises as loudly as possible. “It was absolutely phenomenal. I’d recommend it to anyone. Complete game-changer. The greatest year of my life.” But really – how do you describe an experience like this?…
What to Do When Your Student Comes Home a Different Person by Megan Lee The countdown has dwindled (to your great joy, to your kid’s great despair) and the end of the gap year is now upon us! You look up from the kitchen table to see your child on the couch and it’s like a year hasn’t passed. But it did, and while your child might look the same more or less (save for that new tattoo?!), their mind and soul might be a little different. Getting to know that new person takes time. We know you love them,…
What Matters More Than Talent: Meta-Learning By Blake Boles I once led a six-week leadership retreat for five young people taking self-directed gap years. I rented them their own apartment in the bustling town of Ashland, Oregon, and challenged them to devise a clear set of independent learning goals, which they would pursue with daily mentorship from me and my co-leader. One student wanted to learn about biology and Kendo; another wanted to improve her photography and web design skills. So I sent them away to interview biologists, martial arts instructors, photographers, and designers. My students boldly introduced themselves to…
10 Ways to Maximize Learning On Your Gap Year by Megan Lee Every morning on your Gap Year, you’ll need to wake up and renew your commitment to maximizing your learning potential every day. Now, this is no easy feat. Some days, staying in bed and escaping reality will seem like the more attractive option. But don’t fall victim to Gap Year learning exhaustion, which includes side effects that make you think sitting in your room all day on your laptop is an appropriate way to spend your time. Here are a few things you can do every day to…
A Parent’s Guide to All Things Gap Year by Megan Lee Your kid just proposed a (slightly outlandish) idea to you: “I want to take a gap year.” Maybe you’re 100% on board (you don’t need lots of convincing to understand its benefits) or maybe you’re still on the fence. It’s okay to worry – after all, you have your child’s best interests in mind, right? Regardless of which side of the support spectrum you fall in, here’s everything a parent needs to know to help their kid rock a gap year. Finances Ah, yes. Money. The necessary evil (and…
On Raising the Bar for Service Learning An interview with Willy Oppenheim, Founder of Omprakash One of the presentations I attended at the GYA Annual Conference in Boston was on Service Learning, presented by Willy Oppenheim of Omprakash. His reputation as a powerhouse presenter, a passionate humanitarian and an adventurer extraordinaire preceded him. I was not disappointed. I walked away from his presentation inspired and grateful that someone was standing up to say the hard things and encourage the community towards a higher standard across the board. Service learning is a sticky subject in the gap year world and there…