Your gap year, your rules

No two gap years look the same. Students spend their time on everything from international volunteering to career exploration to independent travel — often a combination of all three, shaped entirely by their own interests and goals.

The most successful gap year experiences tend to follow a clear arc: begin with more structure and support, then transition toward greater independence. Starting with a supported program — one with built-in mentorship and a peer group — makes it easier to build new skills and adjust to life outside the classroom. From there, students are ready to take on more self-directed experiences, whether that's solo travel, an independent internship, or a project of their own design. This structure isn't just about easing the transition. It ensures the skills students build early on actually get put to use — so by the end of the gap year, they've gained real experience, not just a list of places they've been.

If a traditional, structured gap year program isn't what you're looking for, that's not a problem — it's a starting point. A self-directed gap year can include as much or as little structure as you want, from a single skills-based course to independent travel with no set itinerary at all. What matters isn't following a pre-built program; it's designing an experience that actually fits your goals, whether that means backpacking solo, interning somewhere you choose, or spending a few months on a project you care about.

Sample Gap Year Opportunities & Program Ideas

Learn New Skills

Learn the Fundamentals of Filmmaking in a 4-12 week course

Improve your Culinary Skills with a 12 week Certificate Cooking Course in Ireland

Spend a Semester Learning Manual Skills, like Farming and Wood-Working, while living in rural New England

Apprentice on a Permaculture Farm in Costa Rica - Learn Skills such as, Beekeeping, Compost Toilet Design, Fermentation, and Soap-making  

Study Fashion in Paris or London with short courses in design, making & pattern cutting, styling & makeup, or fashion business

Complete your Wilderness First Responder Certification while learning Spanish in Patagonia

Spend a Semester Honing your Drawing, Painting, or Photography skills in Ireland

Spend a Semester Aboard a Sailing Vessel Circumnavigating the Globe, Earning Sailing and Scuba Diving Certifications

Rock Climb, Backpack, and Volunteer with Conservation Projects in the American Southwest and Patagonia                                                                

Become a Certified Yoga Instructor

Live in community on an organic farm in North Carolina, learning practical skills needed to build a sustainable and just future for all people and the planet

Hone your mountain biking and rock climbing skills with a group of adventurous peers in the Rocky Mountains

Get TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certified and teach English abroad

Enhance your performing skills with an Improv class

Develop skills to land a job in the music industry with a sound engineering course

Explore a future career in dance or develop your portfolio for college with a 3 month dance course

Get an introduction to journalism while studying and living in New York City

Volunteer

Dedicate your Gap Year to National Service as a Tutor/Mentor in an Elementary or Middle School Classroom in the U.S.                                                                                                

Volunteer at an Elephant Conservation Center in Thailand  

Volunteer with an Environmental Sustainability Project in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Work as part of a team on conservation projects in the Appalachian region of the U.S. performing trail construction & maintenance, improvements to recreation access, and re-vegetation of native plants

Live with a Host Family while Working on a Community Development Project in Ecuador  

Volunteer at a Primate Rehabilitation Center in South Africa           

 Assist teachers at a local school in Panama while living with other volunteers, learn to surf in your free time

Work with an international team of volunteers on sustainable development projects in Costa Rica or South Africa

Work on relief projects in areas affected by recent natural disasters in the U.S. or abroad

Volunteer in Scotland for a year at a home for adults with learning differences and special needs

Teach English to elementary aged children in Bali

Help save historical sites across the U.S. as part of a construction and restoration team

Be part of a team to rescue, rehabilitate and release sick, injured, and orphaned bats in Australia

Join an all women or LGBTQ+ crew working on important conservation projects, while also earning scholarship money for college

Work Opportunities

Improve your French while working as a language assistant at a middle or high school in France

Work as an Au pair in China, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, or the Netherlands  

Spend up to 12 months Traveling and Working seasonal jobs in agriculture or hospitality in New Zealand or Australia  

Work as a seasonal employee in a U.S. National Park        

Work with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities while living with a cohort of other gap year students near Philadelphia

Work in the hospitality industry, engage in meaningful community service work, and take advantage of recreational activities like camping, hiking, and snow shoeing, while living with a group of gap year peers in Colorado

Work on Organic Farms in the U.S. and around the world in exchange for room & board

Academic Programs

Travel with a peer group through England, France and Italy while learning about art & art history                                       

Immerse yourself in French while living and studying in Paris for a semester or a year

Learn Spanish, Volunteer and Live with a host family in Barcelona                            

Study Spanish while Learning to Surf in Costa Rica                                  

Take Tutorials in a variety of subjects while living with other gap year students from around the world in England

Study Italian and have opportunities to engage in service-learning while living with peers in Tuscany

Intern in Washington DC while taking college seminar classes with a cohort of gap year students

Immerse yourself in intensive language learning with a group of gap year peers in Japan, China, Jordan, or South Korea

Spend a Semester living in treehouses and learning with and from a group of peers in rural Maine

Ready for an adventure?