GAP YEAR RESOURCES
What is a gap year?
A "gap year" refers to a period of time, usually one year, that a person takes off from their regular academic or career path to engage in alternative experiences.
Gap years are seen as an opportunity for personal growth, self-discovery, and gaining real-world experiences.
Gap years are often taken between high school and college, or during or after college, although individuals may choose to take a gap year at any stage of their lives. The term "gap" suggests a break or pause in the traditional educational or career trajectory.
Many individuals find that a gap year helps them develop a clearer sense of their goals and priorities before continuing with formal education or entering the workforce. It can also provide a break from the academic routine and offer a chance to explore diverse interests.
During a gap year, individuals may pursue a variety of activities, such as:
- Traveling: Exploring different countries, cultures, and environments.
- Work Experience: Taking on temporary or part-time employment.
- Skill Development: Acquiring new skills or honing existing ones.
- Volunteering: Engaging in community service or humanitarian work.
- Internships: Gaining practical work experience in a specific field.
- Language Learning: Immersing oneself in a foreign language and culture.
- Personal Development: Undertaking activities to enhance personal and social skills.
- Entrepreneurial Pursuits: Starting a small business or working on a personal project.
Navigating your gap year
The Future Framers Gap Year is flexible to allow you to pursue many gap year experiences, all while giving you tools to achieve your goals and a supportive community to encourage you.
There are a wealth of resources available to help you navigate your gap year, whether you are on the fence about a gap year, planning a gap year, or in the midst of your year.
Both the Canadian Gap Year Association and the Gap Year Association (US) offer robust resources for "gappers", parents, and educators. We recommend them as a great starting point.
CanGap
The Canadian Gap Year Association (CanGap) "is a non-profit organization supporting families and students in making purposeful post-secondary decisions by introducing and providing resources to support an alternative, experiential opportunity known as a gap year." While based in Canada, their numerous resources are available to US and international youth as well.
The Gap Year Association
The Gap Year Association "is a community committed to advancing the gap year movement through standards of best practice, professional development, research, resources, and advocacy with the ultimate goal of empowering more people to access transformative gap year experiences." They offer a wealth of resources for gappers and set standards for quality for US gap year programs and gap year advisors.