Annual Gap Year Conference | Hosted by the Gap Year Association

GYA's 2021 Conference

GYA went virtual in 2020, and it went so well that we’re doing it again in 2021!

The GYA will host our 7th Annual Gap Year Conference @Home November 8-10, 2021. We will gather virtually again in 2021 to share insights from the past year, visions for the future, and our resilience in navigating the present moment. We plan to resume to an in-person conference in 2022 in Portland, Oregon! In the meantime, we will focus on the benefits of being virtual that we gleaned from our 2020 Conference, such as the opportunity to include many more attendees and facilitators from around the world and from more professional networks. Help us spread the word so we can grow the GYA professional community and deepen our learning together.

Have a conference session in mind that would benefit GYA’s professional network? RFPs are now open - check the sidebar of the screen for more links.

More details about conference sessions, speakers, and opportunities coming soon!

Also look out for details on our pre-conference professional development opportunities happening throughout October 2021.

The information below contains the answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding GYA’s pivot to a virtual conference for 2021. Session coordinators and presenters please make sure you reference the Presenter Toolkit on best practices, options for transitioning your session to a virtual format, and access to the virtual platform.

2021 Virtual Conference FAQ:

Fees for 2021

Full Registrations include:

Access to Mighty Networks
All available conference recordings
Full attendees list
Any available handouts
Access to full reports of emerging research including the 2021 State of the Field Survey

Member Individual Registration: Coming Soon!

Non-Member Individual Registration: Coming Soon!

Join as a member today and take advantage of this incredible opportunity to bring your team together around current thought leaders! We hope this conference will inspire conversations in your work place and give you an opportunity for shared experience outside your virtual offices!

Will I need to register to participate in the virtual conference?

Yes, whether you are presenting or attending, you will need to register to participate. Once you are registered the process is fairly simple.

If you are only planning to attend any number of individual sessions, please register for that number of sessions and in your registration or a follow up email, note which sessions you’d like to view and separate URL’s will be made available.

Once Registered: You will receive a link to the virtual conference including login information within 2 business days so you may log in and start to explore sessions.

Do I need to be a member to attend?

No, however the fees do reflect a deep discount for members.

Will Membership/Committee Meetings occur this year?

There is a committee interest form in Unleesh, or feel free to contact membership@gapyearassociation.org for more information.

All Committee meetings will be held during the three weeks after the conference, with open sign ups throughout the conference. If you are interested in joining a committee please contact dianna@gapyearassociation.org.

Do I need to be registered for the virtual conference to participate in the membership/committee meetings?

For the membership meeting, yes. You also need to be a GYA member.

We strongly encourage that if you are interested in joining a committee, or have participated in a committee during 2020 that you contact GYA to get connected to the committee leadership.

Are there free and/or discounted registrations available this year?

Yes, GYA is committed to supporting those for which registration fees pose an economic challenge in these times. We have offered multiple discounted rates please take advantage of these. If you feel you cannot afford the conference this year even at the discounted rate, please contact ethan@gapyearassociation.org.

Hotels

We welcome you to stay at the fabulous Palais du Your-Place. It gets a 9/10 on Yelp and a 10/10 on Reddit.

Meals, Extras, & Shipping

We will have plenty of breaks throughout the conference days, although we encourage you to have a bowl of snacks that don’t crunch too loud. Soggy potato chips may make sense on one front, but 9/10 humans think they’re gross. We encourage a different direction.

Shipping items to yourself in this circumstance would be highly concerning. We encourage you to go green and just take it as “carry on”.

Conference Dress/Etiquette

Conference dress is business casual for whatever is on the screen. No pajamas please.

Please mute your microphone when you’re not speaking. We encourage use of your camera to assist in humanizing the networking element of the virtual conference. Please be mindful of distracting backgrounds that other viewers might see. We do not encourage participating by phone, but it is available if needed.

New Professional Development Institutes:

The Gap Year Association is recognized by the US Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission as the Standards Development Organization for gap year education. To that end we are planning two new professional development institutes scheduled for October 2021, prior to our 2021 virtual gap year conference. We invite you to complete the following interest form, and of course welcome all questions. Dates are TBD and we anticipate having CEUs available.

We hope you will take advantage of these pre-conference professional development opportunities.

Standards Institute

This year, with the updated 2021 Standards of Accreditation set to release in the fall, and adding to the great work our community has offered in response to Covid, we are launching our first Standards Institute. This is designed for any organization or consultant who is serious about gap year education and GYA’s Standards. Whether starting a new gap year organization and wanting to model off of the highest standards, or actively in the process of your GYA Accreditation, this is where you’ll stay connected to emerging trends in the gap year field. The Institute will be a virtual, multi-day event (2-hrs per day) with small breakouts. Attendees will:

Learn about the origins & theory of change for the GYA Standards
Understand the benefits of GYA Accreditation
Work through challenging and complex reviews of their own standards with the assistance of peer-support and professional coaches
Prepare for increased opportunities to grow their programs
Includes Certificate of Completion

Cost: $150 pp. Member Discount = $50 off per person. * Special discounts available to GYA Members and members of IECA and HECA

Framework: Pre-readings, discussion groups for roughly 10 over three days

Counselors Institute

Even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, high school and college counselors were being asked increasingly about the gap year option. This multiday virtual Counselors Institute (2-hrs per day) is designed to equip those who work with high school students, with the tools to be a strong advocate for the gap year option. Whether you’re working in a high school, currently an IEC and getting asked about gap years more, or just getting started as a gap year consultant, over the course, attendees will:

Gain a thorough understanding of the key ingredients to an successful gap year
Learn strategies to smartly present the gap year option to your students and their families
Hear advice to navigate the college process with consideration to the gap year
Learn basic methods to evaluate risk so you can know when to refer and when to double down with your students
Have a panel of students to interview
Includes Certificate of Completion

Cost: $75 pp. Free for public high school and college counselors who are members. * Special discounts available to GYA Members and members of IECA and HECA.

Framework: Pre-readings, discussion groups for roughly 10 over three days

SPONSORS!

We are looking for aligned sponsors to support these important professional development opportunities so that we can responsibly contribute to growing the movement. Our intention to keep individual costs low necessitates that we seek support from elsewhere. Please contact Ethan@gapyearassociation.org with any interest in sponsoring GYA’s 2021 Conference and new Professional Development Institutes.

PREVIOUS GAP YEAR CONFERENCES

2020 @Home Conference

GYA went virtual ... and we crushed it!

The 2020 Gap Year Conference will be held in partnership with Unleesh. This year marked our 6th year coming together for industry-wide conversations, professional development and networking. And this year we got to do it all from home! Going virtual presented the opportunity to widen our network and reach many more who are interested in gap years. Our conversations proved just as meaningful as past years, perhaps more so given the power of the moment and the incredible access to talented speakers, augmented by our weekly member calls addressing COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter.

As a membership organization, we are here to support you, our members, in driving your learning, creating space for collaboration, and digging deeper into challenging topics together. If you are not a member we encourage you to still join the conversation and use the conference as a test drive to see if membership is right for you! This conference was - and always will be - open to any professional who intersects with gap years, whether an IEC, a College Admissions Officer, or a Gap Year Alum with a new initiative and dream.

View the Free Recording from Our Pre-Conference Kick Off with AmeriCorps' CEO!

For more navigation, look to the right sidebar.

Gap Year Conference Keynote Speaker Angelou Ezeilo

OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

ANGELOU EZEILO is the founder and CEO of the Greening Youth Foundation. A leading social entrepreneur, she was a 2016 Ashoka Fellow and graduate of Spelman College and the University of Florida, College of Law. Angelou is a member of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights’ Women in Solidarity Society and is on the boards of the Atlanta Audubon Society and the South Fork Conservancy. Angelou pinned her first book, Engage, Connect, Protect: Empowering Diverse Youth as Environmental Leaders. Engage, Connect, Protect explodes this myth, revealing the deep and abiding interest that African American, Latino, and Native American communities ― many of whom live in degraded and polluted parts of the country – have in our collective environment. The novel is part eye-opening critique of the cultural divide in environmentalism, part biography of a leading social entrepreneur, and part practical toolkit for engaging diverse youth. Angelou lives in Atlanta, GA, with her husband of 25 years along with her two sons.

SCHEDULE:

GYA Virtual Conference
Gap Year as a Service Year with AmeriCorps!
Everything You Always Wanted to Know about AmeriCorps as a Gap Year (Click title to view YouTube Recording!)

Presenters: Barbara Stewart - CEO, AmeriCorps, Ethan Knight - Executive Director, Founder Gap Year Association, & TBD- Current AmeriCorps Member

DESCRIPTION: You’ve heard of AmeriCorps. But what about AmeriCorps as a gap year? Join us for live discussion about national service gap years with AmeriCorps CEO Barbara Stewart and a current AmeriCorps member taking a gap year of service. Moderated by Ethan Knight, the Founder and Executive Director of the Gap Year Association, this promises to be an informative and inspiring hour for anyone curious about a domestic gap year.

2020 is witness to the “onshoring” of the gap year, and the timing couldn’t be better given how many are challenged right now in our own country. Happily, Gen Z is showing up in great numbers to contribute. That said, most students still don’t know about gap years let alone the great national service opportunities available in our country. AmeriCorps offers an opportunity to serve the community, earn a living allowance and money for college, explore a potential career, boost a college application, and have an adventure. Whether you are a student, parent, counselor, or gap year provider, join us on October 26 for this free discussion to kick off the 2020 @Home Gap Year Association Conference.
Pre-Conference Session, 11:15am-12:45pm

Considerations for a Return to Programming in an Increasingly Uncertain World

Presenters: Bill Fredrick, Jeff Baierlein, Vanessa Sterling, Dave Dennis

COVID 19 was by far the most disruptive event of this past year but it was not the only event that resulted in program suspensions and cancellations. Gap Year programs have experienced tropical cyclones, wildfires, protests, civil unrest and disease outbreaks, etc, but this past year saw events that were of a greater magnitude. And with accelerating climate change and with the economic and political fallout from COVID 19, we should anticipate disruptive events as the new norm. However, the disjointed, and in many instances, dysfunctional response to the pandemic, illustrates the urgent need for leaders with the values, character and perspectives that are fostered in Gap Year programs.

While national and international program risk management has rapidly evolved over the past 25 years along with information and communication technology, that evolution is about to accelerate. We should anticipate the renegotiation of all stakeholder relationships in the context of shared risk. Our customary authoritative reference points for go/no go decisions and program monitoring will become data points as we aggregate the aggregators for data and develop our analysis and decision making. Programs that thrive in this brave new world will be characterized by innovation, resilience and the ability to accelerate. Our panelists will each address some aspect of what it will take to return to operation and then we’ll all work through the most interesting questions that arise.
Opening Session: The State of the Field, 1pm-2:30pm

Presenters: Ethan Knight (Founder and Executive Director, GYA), Julia Rogers (Board President), Luke Parrott (Chair, Research Committee) Keynote: Angelou Ezeilo, Founder and CEO, The Greening Youth Foundation / Co-Author of Engage, Connect, Protect: Empowering Diverse Youth As Environmental Leaders

Break, 2:30-2:45pm
Block 1, 2:45pm-4:15pm
1A: Mid-Program Reflections from In-Person Programs During COVID

Presenters: Ethan Knight, Alison Sever, Killian O'Kelly, Debbie Goldsmith, & Charlie Taibi

Have you noticed that there's a pandemic? … Oh, and there’s a social justice movement too! Have I mentioned the presidential election? No one has operated a program in such complicated times before, and this year we get to hear from three intrepid and generous leaders who have volunteered to share their learnings. Join us to ask questions and learn from our panel of Directors at: Aardvark Israel, Irish Gap Year, Year On, and Rising Earth at The Eco-Institute. This panel is meant to be a 'behind-the-scenes’ session about lessons learned in an attempt to assist other organizations in navigating future programming. There will be time for Q&A at the end, and our moderator, Ethan Knight from the Gap Year Association, will have some framing questions to establish core lessons.
1B: Moving Beyond Sustainability: Gap Year Accountability in Action

Presenters: Adelaide Nalley, Angelou Ezeilo, Nathan Scott, & Rebecca Barr

Bringing together different voices from the gap year, permaculture, experiential education, and environmentalist communities, this panel seeks to address issues of socioenvironmental accountability in the gap year community. Moving beyond the superficialities of sustainability, panelists will reflect on ways to move towards a regenerative perspective that includes all relevant stakeholders in the gap year experience, from program providers and gap year consultants to students and local partners. This panel will grapple with issues central to creating a more inclusive and just gap year community, including how to conceptualize mobility and locality, how to de-colonize programming, and how to create pedagogical approaches that sustain work towards climate justice.
1C: Connecting with Youth- How to Market and Outreach

Presenter: Brian Campaign

Description: It is important to know how to connect with youth in our country in a manner they understand. We have to "talk their talk" in order to relate to their needs and concerns. The desired outcome of this session is to discuss methods to connect and relate with youth in our country. We will look at driving factors, motivations, and events that have impacted this current youth.
1D: Everything is Political: Navigating the Current Cultural Landscape for yourself, students and staff

Presenters: Erica Nelson & Sydney Clark

It's an election year in the United States amidst a global pandemic. With news and rhetoric coming at us from all directions at incredible speed, for many of us the question of how to assume social responsibility has never felt more pressing. We want to offer you some non-partisan perspective that will help you make better decisions when it comes to being a human in uncertain times.
1E: Zero to Hero: A Blueprint for launching in-house Gap Year programs for Universities

Presenters: Adam Aronovitz & Dr. Melanie Hulbert

Gen-Z students are looking for more than an in-class or online college credit experience. Innovation in program design is going to be a key differentiator among universities that will thrive in the 2020-2021 pandemic year and those that atrophy. As we venture into the "new normal" of higher education beyond 2020-2021, it is critical that we think outside the box when it comes to offering the most cutting edge experiential learning opportunities for our students.

This session will highlight a groundbreaking approach to designing and launching a tailored university gap or bridge program built upon high impact practices and the best practices in experiential learning. When Western Colorado University, in collaboration with Global Routes, went from idea phase to launch in less than 30 days in creating the first ever in-house 11-week Mountain Resilience Gap Semester program, it became clear that university and industry partnerships can provide a clear pathway to offering unique, safe, and innovative student experiences.

From program design to hiring to risk management development to offering academic credits in the field taught by experienced faculty, this session will provide a roadmap for university leaders to develop and launch their own unique programming based on the strengths of the particular university’s culture and region. Through an interactive session, participants will be asked to consider their university’s own strengths and potential opportunities as they utilize a “blueprint model” that will help them understand what is needed before embarking on a similar program process that is on-brand, accentuating university strengths and culture, and providing pathways to expose university opportunities to a wide student audience.

Membership Meeting, 4:15pm-5pm

Virtual Happy Hour, 5pm -6pm
Wednesday
Block 2, 1pm-2:30pm
2A: The value of a gap year in terms employers understand

Presenters: Joanna Lazarek & Caela Provost

Many students say of their gap year, "It was the best year of my life!" However, it can be challenging to articulate how the how the skills and experience gain translate into future internship and full-time employment. Learn about the top skills employers seek - problem-solving, teamwork, strong work ethic, analytical/qualitative skills, communication, and leadership - and how students achieve and demonstrate them during their gap years. By the end of the workshop you and your gap year students will be able to describe the value of the gap year in terms that employers - and parents concerned about "ROI" - can understand.
2B: Virtual & In-Person Mental Health Interventions: A Scenario-Based Approach

Presenters: Gary Robinson & Laura Thompson, P3 Mental Health

The global pandemic has both added to our participant and staff mental health challenges and offered up new opportunities for reaching out and addressing these. The presenters will discuss some evidence-based skills for engaging your participants virtually and in-person during this time of COVID. Common emotional themes that have emerged during the virus will be discussed by the audience using scenarios loosely based on real-world examples encountered by the presenters in their clinical and consulting practices.
2C: Currently Uploading: Gap Year’s New Virtual Reality

Presenters: Carla Y. Emanuele, Maria Anaya, Nick Manning, & Willy Oppenheim

Is it possible to maintain the integrity of the gap year experience in an online environment? A far-reaching discussion that aims to consider how we accomplish and support our common gap year philosophies while adapting to the virtual world.
2D: Authentic Animal Encounters

Presenter: Nora Livingstone

When we love animals, we really love them. But how can we make sure our love of animals doesn't cost them their freedom? In this session we will discuss the ethics around animal tourism, from volunteering to wild encounters. Is riding an elephant really so bad? How do I know a wildlife sanctuary is really a sanctuary? How can I make sure program fees go to the local economy? This will be a judgement free zone where you can ask all our animal ethics related questions!
2E: 2020 Alumni Gap Year Panel

Presenters: Erin Aucar, Maritza Zapien, Melanie Russo

Join us for a lively Q&A session with a panel of gap year alumni moderated by Erin Aucar, a member of the GYA’s Board of Directors.

In this interactive session, the students will share how their gap year experience has impacted their career and college choices and helped define their professional paths. They will bring their perspective to the conversation on how gap organizations can support students during these unprecedented times.

Break, 2:30pm-2:45pm
Block 3, 2:45pm-4:15pm
3A: Financial Security for Guides and Experiential Educators

Presenter: Jayson Owens

Financial Security for Guides and Outdoor Educators (aka Building Wealth, a Raft Guide's Story). Financial security isn't just for trustafarians anymore. The biggest advantage that outdoor instructors and seasonal staff have over the mainstream is years of intermittent income have taught us to be frugal out of necessity. Unfortunately, many think this means that they have forego financial security, but that's simply not true. In this session, we'll cover simple actionable steps that will help you: - Manage unpredictable income. - Save for emergencies, goals, and retirement. - Avoid scams, avoid overpriced "advice", and decode industry jargon. - Invest appropriately. - Manage your lifetime tax bill to your advantage. This will be an interactive session (yes, that means worksheets). You will create "SMART" goals specific to your life that you can take action on the same day!
3B: Navigating Therapeutic Gap Year Options

Presenters: Andrew Taylor & Joanna Lilley

Depression and anxiety are on the rise for the younger generations and gap year candidates are no exception. There are programs available for young people looking to do a gap year but who may need to address their mental health first. There are also circumstances where a current gap year candidate may have some emerging mental health issues while in a traditional gap program and may need to transition to a higher level of care. Mental health gap options can be effective in starting a young person on the right path or helping them get back on track if they fall off.
3C: Equitable Engagement with Partner Organizations

Presenters: Ako Peter Agbor, Elizabeth Bezark, Ryan Allen, Teresia Kyalo & Tom Losey

Our host partners in service learning provide gap year students with particular insight into how global communities approach the issues that most deeply affect them. Through organizational partnerships of this nature, gap year students and host community members alike have rich opportunities for intercultural learning and engagement. As a field, we also have opportunities to improve the ethics and equitability of our global partnerships. This panel brings together representatives of GYA Members’ partner organizations to discuss these important topics. We’re thrilled to facilitate a discussion with Teresa Kyalo (International Transformation Foundation, Kenya), Ako Peter Agbor (Meg Wah, Cameroon), and Tom Losey (Liquid Therapy, Ireland). Join in to hear their expert perspectives. As a result, you’ll gain some excellent ideas for strengthening and maintaining equitable partnerships with your global partners in service learning and gap year education.
3D: Hip Hop, Education, Activism and Cultural Exchange

Presenter: Mic Crenshaw

Mic Crenshaw artist, educator, activist, shares his story of personal and political growth and development from his teenage years fighting neo nazi's and being a target of police in Minneapolis to facilitating Hip Hop cultural exchange in Africa, Russia, Cuba and Germany. This will be a multi media presentation with dialogue and some shared writing.
3E: Navigating Scholarships and Supporting Access for Gap Year Providers

Presenters: Katie Sullivan, Heather Theisen-Gandara, Jeff Cary, Brian Jewett, and Rae Nelson (Moderator)

Learn about three different scholarship and funding sources from the Institute of International Education, from a gap year program, and from an expert on federal grants such as FAFSA and Pell, as well as 529 Savings Funds.

Awards Ceremony: 4:15pm-5pm
Thursday
Block 4, 1pm-2:30pm
4A: Effective Mentorship: Building a Foundation of Trust

Presenters: Jay Gosselin & Valérie Deveaux

The ability to confide in and depend on mentors is a common requirement for all young people to thrive. Yet, somehow, few people truly understand the behaviours and environment that enable us to build trusting relationships. In this session, you will: (1) explore what it means to share deep interpersonal trust with another person, (2) come to better understand the conditions under which interpersonal trust can flourish and (3) learn skills to build deeper trust with others.
4B: Supporting the Mental Health of Gen Z Students in an Ever-Changing World

Presenters: Suzanne Button, Ph.D. & Wenimo Okoya, Ed.D.

Young adulthood is a time of growth, learning and exploration — but it can also be a time of significant change and intense challenges. Levels of anxiety and depression continue to rise and these conditions are exacerbated by the uncertainty of a world grappling with the pandemic and struggles for racial equity. Learn how you can identify and respond to distress in your students and help them emotionally prepare to fully engage in their gap year experience.
4C: Gap Year Programs and Higher Education: A Round Table Discussion

Presenters: Laura Beebe & Sarah Smith Gladstone

Come explore the nuanced relationship between gap year experiences and higher education. This roundtable will showcase a diversity of voices across colleges and universities, including admissions staff, student life staff, and faculty members. We will explore practical questions such as how do college credits from gap year programs actually transfer into college degree checklists? What are the ways gap years prepare students for the classroom and student life? How can gap year programs and institutions of higher education build better partnerships during Covid and the related uncertainties of the times? We will also discuss broader philosophical and pedagogical topics such as the evolving role of experiential education in higher education, and how gap year programs might serve as vital college level experiences for students facing the dynamics of the 21st century. Please bring your questions and perspectives.
4D: Active Anti-Racist Allyship

Presenters: Autumn Gupta & Bryanna Wallace, Justice in June

In this section we will cover what it looks like to be an active anti-racist ally. We will illustrate the importance of minimizing the gap between good intent and information and education that leads to action. This discussion will touch on the need for safe spaces that promote transparency, vulnerability and accountability.
4E: What Color is Your Wingsuit? Mapping Your Program's Future While on the Fly

Presenters: Jason Sarouhan & Jane Sarouhan

In 2020 the Gap Year landscape as we have known it has come to an abrupt and definitive precipice. For many programs, COVID-19 presents a mist-enshrouded cliff that must be leapt from in order to continue forward successfully. Soaring into this unknown (and hard to predict) "new normal" requires careful consideration, an inventory of communal resources, and a well articulated heading. What Color is Your Wingsuit? is a workshop for those programs that are ready to take a critical look at the future in order to keep flying on their own terms.

Break, 2:30pm-2:45pm
Block 5, 2:45pm-4:15pm
5A: Building (Better) Partnerships with High School Counselors

Presenters: Crys Latham & Ethan Knight

With the uncertainty we've faced in 2020 and the uncertainty that surely lies ahead in 2021, now more than ever, it is paramount that all of us in the profession work to support our students and families and to hone our craft to be student-centered. Learn about opportunities and ways to build partnerships with your colleagues who are "in the trenches" in order to spread the good word and opportunities of gap year experiences.
5B: Wired for Innovation: Understanding Generation Z

Presenters: Ilona Dougherty & Michelle Dittmer

This presentation is an inspiring call-to-action and a practical guide for anyone who hopes for a bright future for young people. Through stories, data, and original research Ilona explains what neuroscience and developmental psychology tell us about what young people’s unique abilities, what is holding us back from meaningfully supporting our young people and how intergenerational collaboration can drive social and economic progress.
5C: Building a social media marketing strategy: What organizations need to know in times of crisis

Presenters: Luz Arias & Bill Cotter

In times of crisis, organizations need to be even more connected with their audience. This session will give simple, easy, and manageable steps to create a social media strategy that is doable while budgets and teams are being cut. This session is for organizations that want to keep engaging with their audiences without losing focus on the business.
5D: Integrating your Risk Management Systems with Inclusion & Diversity Efforts

Presenters: Steve Smith & Taylor Feldman

Gap Year Programs rely on their risk management tools and systems, but what happens when those traditional systems undermine efforts to create equitable and inclusive programs? This interactive presentation, delivered by an industry leading expert in risk management, will critically explore the hidden pitfalls where risk systems work at cross purposes with equity and inclusion, and offer solutions from over 20 years of experience. Participants will engage in small group activities, learn from other participants, and walk away with action steps to help them align their systems.
5E: Recent Gap Year Research: New Outcomes from Students and Higher Education

Presenters: Erin Johnston, Friederike Seeger, Kevin Rask, Michael McGarrah, & Robert S. Clagett

As the gap year movement has gained visibility in recent years, it has also gained the attention of academic researchers around the country. This panel will present some recent research outcomes from GYA research efforts, academic performance research by the Gap Year Research Consortium at Colorado College, and individual institutional research by the Global Gap Year Fellowship Program at UNC-Chapel Hill, along with information about upsides and downsides of various research methodologies. We also hope to learn from the audience about other important aspects of taking a gap year that we should be studying.
Closing, 4:15-5pm: The 2020 Gap Year Alumni Survey Results

Presenters: Nina Hoe Gallagher & Kempie Blythe

This session presents the results of the 2020 Gap Year Association National Alumni Survey. In 2015, GYA undertook the first ever national survey of gap year participants. Analysis of this survey broadened our collective understanding of the experiences of gap year participants in the past decades. This 2020 survey will provide an update on gap years experiences in the US and Canada, where and when participants take gap years, the experiences they have and the associated outcomes on their academic and personal lives.

FEES:

Expires March 31, 2021. Full Registrations include access to Unleesh; All available conference recordings; full attendees list; any available handouts; and access to full reports of emerging research including the 2021 State of the Field Survey, and the 2020 Gap Year Alumni Survey. Alternatively, attendees can register to view any individual conference sessions for $30/each.

Member Individual Registration (Recordings Price): $140.
Non-Member Individual Registration (Recordings Price): $200
Individual Session Recordings: $30/ea

LOCATION:

@Home! Enjoy this year's conference from the comfort of your home. We encourage you to be comfortable, pop some popcorn, and have your favorite mug of coffee or tea in hand! For those of you back in the office, join together in the conference room around one computer, take this as an opportunity to share an experience and generate internal conversations with your team.

ATTENDEES:

You will have access to all other attendees via our conference platform. You will be able to individually message others through this platform as well.

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS:

Gap Year Conference Working with High Schools

Building (Better) Partnerships with High School Counselors, Crys Latham and Ethan Knight With the uncertainty we've faced in 2020 and the uncertainty that surely lies ahead in 2021, now more than ever, it is paramount that all of us in the profession work to support our students and families and to hone our craft to be student-centered. Learn about opportunities and ways to build partnerships with your colleagues who are "in the trenches" in order to spread the good word and opportunities of gap year experiences.

Gap Year Conference Justice in June Equity & Inclusion

Active Anti-Racist Allyship, Bryanna Wallace and Autumn Gupta, Justice in June In a world where we are consumed by an overload of information, short attention spans and knee-jerk reactions to opinions of opinions, we find it important to create an approachable structure that allows anti-racism to become a daily habit and behavioral change rather than checking a box. In this section we will cover what it looks like to be an active anti-racist ally. We will illustrate the importance of minimizing the gap between good intent and information and education that leads to action. This discussion will touch on the need for safe spaces that promote transparency, vulnerability and accountability.

Gap Year Conference Risk Management Experts

Financial Security for Guides and Experiential Educators, Jayson Owens, CFP® Financial Security for Guides and Outdoor Educators (aka Building Wealth, a Raft Guide's Story). Financial security isn't just for trustafarians anymore. The biggest advantage that outdoor instructors and seasonal staff have over the mainstream is years of intermittent income have taught us to be frugal out of necessity. Unfortunately, many think this means that they have forego financial security, but that's simply not true. In this session, we'll cover simple actionable steps that will help you: - Manage unpredictable income. - Save for emergencies, goals, and retirement. - Avoid scams, avoid overpriced "advice", and decode industry jargon. - Invest appropriately. - Manage your lifetime tax bill to your advantage. This will be an interactive session (yes, that means worksheets). You will create "SMART" goals specific to your life that you can take action on the same day!

Gap Year Conference Risk Management Diversity

Integrating your Risk Management Systems with Inclusion & Diversity Efforts, Steve Smith Gap Year Programs rely on their risk management tools and systems, but what happens when those traditional systems undermine efforts to create equitable and inclusive programs? This interactive presentation, delivered by an industry leading expert in risk management, will critically explore the hidden pitfalls where risk systems work at cross purposes with equity and inclusion, and offer solutions from over 20 years of experience. Participants will engage in small group activities, learn from other participants, and walk away with action steps to help them align their systems.

Virtual Conference FAQ:

The information below contains the answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding GYA’s pivot to a virtual conference for 2020. Session coordinators and presenters please make sure you reference the Presenter Toolkit on best practices, options for transitioning your session to a virtual format, and access to the virtual platform.

When will access to the 2020 GYA Conference expire?

March 31, 2021.

Will I need to register to participate in the virtual conference?

Yes, whether you are presenting or attending, you will need to register to participate. Once you are registered the process is fairly simple.

If you are only planning to attend any number of individual sessions, please register for that number of sessions and in your registration or a follow up email, note which sessions you'd like to view and separate URL's will be made available.

Once Registered: You will receive a link to the virtual conference including login information within 2 business days so you may log in and start to explore sessions.

Do I need to be a member to attend?

No, however the fees do reflect a deep discount for members.

Will Membership/Committee Meetings occur this year?

There is a committee interest form in Unleesh, or feel free to contact membership@gapyearassociation.org for more information.

Do I need to be registered for the virtual conference to participate in the membership/committee meetings?

For the membership meeting, yes. You also need to be a GYA member.

We strongly encourage that if you are interested in joining a committee, or have participated in a committee during 2020 that you contact GYA to get connected to the committee leadership.

Are there free and/or discounted registrations available this year?

HOTELS:

We welcome you to stay at the fabulous Palais du Your-Place. It gets a 9/10 on Yelp and a 10/10 on Reddit.

MEALS, EXTRAS & SHIPPING:

We will have plenty of breaks throughout the conference days, although we encourage you to have a bowl of snacks that don't crunch too loud. Soggy potato chips may make sense on one front, but 9/10 humans think they're gross. We encourage a different direction.

Shipping items to yourself in this circumstance would be highly concerning. We encourage you to go green and just take it as "carry on".

CONFERENCE DRESS / ETIQUETTE:

Conference dress is business casual for whatever is on the screen. No pajamas please.

Please use the software to mute your microphone when you're not speaking. We encourage use of your camera to assist in humanizing the networking element of the virtual conference. Please be mindful of distracting backgrounds that other viewers might see. We do not encourage participating by phone, but it is available if needed.

GoOverseas.com
TeenLife.com
Tortuga Backpacks

2019 AT UNC CHAPEL HILL

The fifth annual international gap year conference, showed continued growth in the field and improved community and advocacy efforts. In the past five years, we have grown the conference to almost 200 attendees, and look forward to adding your voice to the growing gap year movement. This year represented our first effort to host the conference with an institution of higher education, and unsurprisingly we found a higher than usual attendance by colleges and universities. Join us in 2020 to hear about the latest in gap year trends, research, and best practices.

Download the 2019 Conference Guide & Schedule

HIGHLIGHTED SESSIONS: EQUITY & ACCESS

"Equity and Inclusion"

Erica Nelson
Co-Founder R.E.A.L (Reconcile, Evolve,
Advance, Lead) Consulting

Sydney Clark
Co-Founder R.E.A.L (Reconcile, Evolve,
Advance, Lead) Consulting

After seeing the need to provide leadership and insight to bringing outdoor and gap year programming to be inclusive and equitable, Sydney and Erica founded R.E.A.L. Together they will work with participants to dive into four key areas of gap year programming. The objective for participants at the conclusion of each module will be to achieve a basic understanding of the topic that they can use to inform subsequent policy and program planning. The final module will focus on developing systems of accountability.

Four key areas this workshop will explore:

Identity: Looking Inward Before Looking Outward
Implicit Bias
Cultural Appropriation
Strategies for Developing and Ethos of Decolonization

Sydney Clark earned a BA in Sociology and Political Science from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, where she also played Division I volleyball. She’s developed curriculum and facilitated trainings for several organizations including Public Allies Chicago, the United States Peace Corps and NOLS. Sydney currently resides in Lander, Wyoming and spends as much time as she can honing her barbecuing skills.

Erica Nelson earned a BA in Psychology and Outdoor Leadership from Sierra Nevada College, where she led and facilitated student outdoor courses. She currently serves as co-chair for the Access and Inclusion GYA Committee, and is an ambassador for Brown Folks Fishing, that was recently awarded the Orvis Breaking Barriers award in April 2019. Erica is currently a corporate leadership development consultant and a NOLS whitewater instructor.

"Teaching and Talking About Race, Racism, and White Supremacy"

Tema Okun
Duke University: Teacher, Writer, Activist

In this session, we will take a look at how to teach and talk about issues of race, racism, and racial justice. The session will offer a framework for understanding how racism operates and how to address it, as well as pedagogical approaches to teaching about race and racism grounded in both content, what is taught, and process, how content is taught.

Tema Okun has spent over 30 years working with and for organizations, schools, and community-based institutions as a trainer, facilitator, and coach focused on issues of racial justice and equity. Tema currently co-leads the Teaching for Equity Fellows Program at Duke University. She is the author of the award-winning The Emperor Has No Clothes: Teaching About Race and Racism to People Who Don't Want to Know (2010, IAP), and publishes regularly on the pedagogy of racial and social justice.

HIGHLIGHTED SESSIONS: MENTAL HEALTH

"Emotional First Aid: Effective Responses to Mental Health Challenges"

Gary Robinson
Founder P3 Mental Health

What do you do in a mental health emergency with a student? Do you know how to spot if someone is in crisis? Do you know how to respond if they are? What are the boundaries staff must respect to comply with scope of practice rules? These types of situations are a growing concern, especially with organizations that may not have immediate access to mental health professionals. This is an active and hands-on session, with extensive role plays and practice of the skills needed to be able to administer Emotional First Aid. The course is appropriate to all levels of previous training. If you or your staff are new to mental health training, this will give them the skills they need to be competent to help out in any mental health situation. For those with experience, this is an opportunity to learn and practice some new skills, as well as be updated on the latest research and important concepts and best practices in responding to emotional and mental health issues, especially on travel-based programs.

Gary Robinson currently serves as Director of Counseling at Hartwick College in New York, a position he has held for over 20 years. His clinical specialties include stress management, mood and anxiety disorders and life coaching/mentoring. Gary is the co-founder of P3 Mental Health Advisors which serves in a training and crisis management consulting role to Gap Year, Study Abroad, Experiential Education and Service Learning programs.

"The Body of Sex: Our Place in the Conversation with our Students"

Sarah Byrden
Founder The Body of Sex

Sexual selfhood is a fundamental aspect of our student's lives and increasingly complex as our culture navigates conversations of sex and consent. As Gap Year educators, we are in a unique position of mentorship with students, at a critical time in their development, offering experiences and understandings that will shape the choices they make in the world. This workshop will teach to the what, how and why of Gap Year's unique significance in empowering our students toward more sexual safety, awareness, and agency, an invaluable gift as they navigate the complex sexual culture on college campuses and beyond.

Sarah Byrden, founder of THE BODY OF SEX and two-time TEDx speaker, is known for her domain-changing work and approach in sex education among college-aged students and adults. Her passion, nuanced approach and depth as a facilitator have been forged by her 20 years an experiential educator, most notably in field and leadership positions with Where There Be Dragons andSecond Nature Wilderness Therapy Program.

HIGHLIGHTED SESSIONS: HIGHER EDUCATION

"PANEL - Leveling the Playing Field: College Strategies that Broaden Gap Year Access"

Bob Clagett
Director, Gap Year Research Consortium
at Colorado College

This will be a panel presentation with Bob Clagett (Colorado College), Latika Young (Florida State University), Sarah Smith (UNC Chapel Hill), and Kelsey Fisher (Duke University). Gap year experiences have grown more common during the past decade, and the positive outcomes of taking one are well established. But too often these opportunities have been limited to a smaller group of students who already know what they would do with an intentional gap year. Explore strategies colleges are using to encourage more students to consider taking a gap year and, in some cases, even help make it financially viable. Panelists will also discuss the new Gap Year Research Consortium based at Colorado College.

He is a former Senior Admissions Officer and Associate Director of Financial Aid at Harvard College, Dean of Admissions at Middlebury College, and Director/Co-Director of College Counseling at St. Stephen's Episcopal School and Colorado Academy. BA in German Civilization from Brown University and EdM from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

"The Gap Year and College After Crisis"

Hanna Stotland
Independent Educational Consultant

How can we help students who have been through an educational crisis? Many students looking at a gap year have experienced expulsion, suspension, failing grades, or other obstacle that they will have to explain in order to apply to college. Learn how a gap year can help these students achieve their long-term goals and how to discuss post-gap planning with this population of students and their parents.

Hanna Stotland flunked out of high school, got a G.E.D., and thanks to her gap years, went on to graduate from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Since 1999, she has been an independent admissions consultant specializing in educational crisis management. She regularly presents on this topic at professional conferences including IECA, HECA, and NACAC affiliates.

HIGHLIGHTED SESSIONS: MARKETING

"Marketing Dos and Don'ts: Creating an Effective Marketing Operation on a Shoestring Budget"

Zacc & Spenser Dukowitz,
No Mango, LLC
Digital Marketer, Co-Owners of No Mango, LLC

This session will walk attendees step-by-step through marketing dos and don'ts collected from years of experience helping smaller organizations and startups get their marketing operations up and running. The goal of the session is for attendees to walk away with a concrete list of To Dos for creating their own marketing operation, and will include:

• Getting started - how to sift through the noise and create a marketing operation that works for your needs
• How to create an email subscriber list, and why this is important
• How to use email marketing to turn subscribers into evangelists
• The Dos and Don'ts of social media
• Specific tools to use to get the most bang for your buck
• Where to skimp and where to spend
• Beyond SEO 101 - how to get more web traffic, and how to make sure it's the right web traffic for your organization.

Zacc & Spenser Dukowitz have worked in digital marketing since 2012. Their marketing work has been primarily in K-12 education and in the drone industry, where Zacc served as the director of marketing for a startup for about two years. Although his primary strength is in writing, he has in-depth experience in all aspects of digital marketing, including email, social media, and SEO.

"Storytelling and Branding Training"

Daniel Dozier
Director, Students of the World

Students of the World was founded on the premise that experiential global education is essential, and that students in all of our schools need more programming that connects them with the broader world beyond our borders, as well as those cultures and communities different from their own but that can be found 'in our own backyard' within the United States. We are excited to provide the storytelling training program to your members so that they are trained in best practices for empowering eachother to share their stories and to become the content curators the ecosystem needs to expand and raise awareness of the progress an investment in gap year experiences provide our students. Furthermore, our training program will empower and prepare your members to share the impact they are having in their communities through their work, thus contributing to the development of the association - this reflects our purpose and mission to shine a light on progress.

Modules include:
i. Empowering Students to Share Stories
ii. Technical Preparation and Production
iii. Roles & Responsibilities
iv. Content Curation
v. Managing the Creative Process
vi. Connecting Content & Community

HIGHLIGHTED SESSIONS: RISK MANAGEMENT

"The Pedagogical Value of Risk in International Education"

Bill Frederick
Owner, Lodestone Safety International

Engaging students more fully in the management of their health, safety and security has an under appreciated pedagogical value. Contemporary child rearing practices have blocked children from developing their risk management capacities without making them safer. We’ll review the research, debate some scenarios and explore how to do it and how it can improve learning, interpersonal relations, ethical behavior, and mitigate the experience of mental health challenges. It may even make your programs safer.

Bill Frederick is the founder of Lodestone Safety International specializing in health, safety and security for educational/service organizations operating abroad. Previously he was the Director of Safety at SFS and an Instructor/program director for Outward Bound for 16 years. He is a faculty committee member for Wilderness Medical Associates International. He holds an M.Ed from Harvard University and a CTH from the ISTM.

HIGHLIGHTED SESSIONS: CURRENT ISSUES

"Gap Year Climate Engagement or Denial? How to Better Walk Our Talk"

Nathan Scott
Founder, Global Climate Corps

Scott Burnett
Founder, Pacific Discovery

The Gap Year industry has been slow to acknowledge our own contribution to the climate crisis. How many programs make conscious efforts to address the carbon footprint of their student travel or engage in meaningful action to mitigate their climate impact? We all could be doing a better job! In this lively and interactive session we will discuss and offer ways that programs can - and should - better engage their students on the issue of climate change while at the same time becoming more responsible stewards of our planet.

Nathan Scott is the Founder and Director of the Global Climate Corps whose mission is to educate, train and empower global youth to become leaders in addressing the root causes of climate change. Prior to founding the Global Climate Corps, Nathan was the founding Director of the Winterline Global Skills Program, a skills-building gap year program sending students around the world.

Scott is the founder and former director of Pacific Discovery, a 19 year old gap year program, guiding students on journeys of discovery through diverse regions of the world. He has had an interest in climate change for a long time. 22 years ago Scott was arrested after hanging a banner off the Sydney Harbor Bridge, in protest at Australia's refusal to sign the Kyoto climate change protocol.

"From Voluntourism to Learning Service: Rethinking Ethical Student Engagement"

Claire Bennett
Co-founder of LearningService.info

Voluntourism – combining travel and "helping" is a booming industry and a staple option for students taking a gap year. However recent developments have revealed it to sometimes be causing harm to the very people and causes it purports to help. We offer a new concept, "learning service" as a way to think through and resolve some of these ethical tensions. This interactive workshop will use techniques borrowed from theater and philosophy to engage participants in a series of critical thinking exercises. All activities are those that can be replicated with student groups, and a facilitator's booklet will be provided to attendees.

Claire Bennett is the co-founder of LearningService.info and an educator with Where There Be Dragons. In the UK she worked on a global citizenship strategy for schools. Now she is living and working in Nepal, running a training organization, leading culturally immersive trips and consulting with voluntourism companies to improve their ethical practices. She is the co-author of Learning Service: The Essential Guide to Volunteering Abroad.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMMING:

The conference this year is taking an innovative approach, different from previous conferences in that we are hosted at a college with strong gap year roots, and we are taking a deeper approach to professional development than in the past. Starting with a place-based orientation about the history and context for UNC Chapel Hill as our host in the bellwether state of North Carolina, as well as the State of the Field, and the member meeting and going until 4:30pm on the 23rd, we aim to keep all attendees engaged in deepening their professional efforts while also building community within the larger gap year movement.

Intensive sessions: These are designed as 5 hour sessions to tackle issues vital to our work and professional roles within the gap year field. This deeper dive will provide a foundation for individuals to invest in and uplift their local communities through sharing of knowledge and understanding received at the conference.

Standard sessions: These are your more typical 45-90 minute sessions facilitated by regular conference attendees. These will highlight topics that are more relevant for shorter discussions and will be in balance to the Intensive sessions, in order to add value for all conference attendees.

VOICES PROJECT LIVE:

Thanks to our great friends at the Association for Experiential Education, we will be adapting "ActivatEE," a short, TEDX style concept we're calling "Voices Project Live." To nominate someone, send an email to dianna@gapyearassociation.org. Speakers are assigned a coach by the GYA to ensure a performance that will inspire - but in the meanwhile, check out our very own Cecilia Polanco, who spoke in 2018 at our AEE + GYA Joint International Conference in Orlando, Florida. Learn more here.

LOCATION:

This year we are proud to be hosted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Student Union Building will be our primary host, on the back of much of their social justice efforts on campus - this feels like a match made in heaven. The main conference will take place in the UNC Student Union Building, with full access to campus grounds for outdoor space, and in close proximity to an Official GYA Gap Year College, Warren Wilson College and another local gap year ally, Duke University, this promises to be a veritable who's who of gap year.

ATTENDEES:

We will share a list of all attendees who have agreed to share their emails, about a month prior to the conference.

HOTELS:

The importance of reserving a hotel room at one of the official Gap Year Associations (GYA) Conference hotels is significant. GYA makes every effort to keep participants expenses at the meeting, registration fees, and hotel rooms for the meeting as low as possible. GYA works hard to negotiate the best hotel rates, and to make the best use of your registration dollars to keep the Conference affordable. By registering for the Conference and reserving a room at one of the official GYA Conference hotels, you are helping to support not only the 2019 GYA Conference but also future GYA Conferences and the overall financial health of the association.

AC Hotel Chapel Hill Downtown

AC Hotel Chapel Hill Downtown, 214 West Rosemary Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516.

This hotel is fully booked. Please select Hampton Inn below to help with our hotel blocks and to stay with another great partner.

Hampton Inn and Suites

Hampton Inn and Suites, 370 E Main Street, Carrboro, NC 27510. GYA has negotiated a discounted conference rate of $119 per night plus tax (currently 13.5%). The contracted rate is currently closed. Room Rate includes complimentary hot breakfast and WiFi. The overnight parking fee of $12 per night has been waived for guests that reserve through the Gap Year Association block. Parking is on the 4th & 5th floor of the adjacent garage. A parking permit must be obtained at check-in. NOTE: Availability and rate cannot be guaranteed once the room block is sold out of after this date.

Reservations can be made by phone at 919-969-6988. Please identify yourself as attending the Gap Year Conference to secure the discounted hotel rate.

MEALS, EXTRAS & SHIPPING:

Lunches, coffee/tea, and snacks will be provided daily. There will be a lively reception during one evening. Breakfasts and dinner will be on your own, however, attendees will have access to student-rates for the on-campus cafeteria, or, take advantage of the great food options in the local area. Free Wifi, and airport shuttle services are anticipated for the conference.

Shipping items to your hotel is possible, although we encourage you double check that your hotel won't charge a handling fee as is common for conferences.

Shipping directly to UNC Chapel Hill is possible, but we ask you ship later (so they don't have to hold everything for longer than a few days):

UNC Chapel Hill
Campus Y
Attn: Sarah Smith
180 E Cameron Ave,
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL ASSISTANCE:

GYA has registered the 2019 Gap Year Annual Conference with the US Business Visa Center to assist international attendees in obtaining a temporary visitor visa for business and or to attend an educational conference. If applying for a temporary visitor visa, make note that we have been advised that processing may be delayed during the summer months due to volume so please plan accordingly.

International attendees, please view the U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs by clicking here. GYA is happy to provide a letter of invitation to the 2019 International Gap Year Conference to assist attendees in obtaining a visa. To request a letter of invitation, email the below information to Devon Binder - conference@gapyearassociation.org.

Full Legal Name (as listed on your passport)
Title
Organization
Home City
Home Country

AIRPORT OPTIONS:

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is approximately 20 miles from UNC Chapel Hill.
Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) is approximately 65 miles from UNC Chapel Hill.

GROUND TRANSFERS:

Neither GYA-contracted hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service. Uber / Lyft Approximately $30 one way.

CONFERENCE DRESS / WEATHER:

Conference dress is business casual.

The average temperature in October is approximately 70° F. Click here for the current weather.

2018 AEE+GYA JOINT INTERNATIONAL GAP YEAR CONFERENCE

November 7-10, Orlando, FL.

We are proud to announce that our next conference will be held in conjunction with the Association for Experiential Education. Our combined conference offers a compelling reason to attend as both Associations promise to expand mutual attendance and networking opportunities - introducing and highlighting gap years to a much more global audience of colleges, experiential educators, philanthropists, consultants, and professionals. Of course, the fact that gap years are rooted in experiential pedagogies makes this combined conference of added value to members & attendees of both associations. This conference will raise awareness of the value and impact of experiential education in diverse settings and amongst diverse people.

“The Association for Experiential Education welcomes more educators and practitioners into our global community. We believe that bringing together individuals and organizations is essential to further experiential education methodologies and practices around the world. Gap programs are making a tremendous impact, and we look forward to the ideas and collaboration that will arise from our two organizations coming together.” - Rob Smariga, CEO, Association for Experiential Education

The conference will take place at the Doubletree Seaworld Hotel in Orlando. Some highlights include:

November 7th will be the general pre-conference day, and for the Gap Year Conference will be our main gathering day
Conference sessions on November 8-10th will be open to all attendees: Gap Year Association AND Association for Experiential Education. There will be two dedicated Gap Year Tracks during these days.
There is dedicated OUTDOOR SPACE ... including a pool for the conference for those entrepreneurial session proposals
November in Orlando is still pleasant outdoors making for good use of the space
Sessions will be either 90 minutes or 180 minutes, meaning more opportunity for EXPERIENTIAL learning models

2017 INTERNATIONAL GAP YEAR CONFERENCE - DENVER, CO

The conference was held in advance of, and in partnership with, the IECA Spring conference for a third year in a row. The 2016 Boston conference doubled our attendees over the previous year in Baltimore going from 60 - 114. In 2017 we grew for another year running to 156 attendees in Denver and are planning our 2018 conference in partnership with the Association for Experiential Education.

Logistics (Hotel, Shipping, etc.):

ACCOMMODATION. AGA has negotiated a discounted hotel rate of $169 plus tax. NOTE: some people have had trouble booking because the online system shows no availability, especially if you are wanting to stay outside the main conference dates it is better to call the hotel directly that way they don't get an error message. An actual human can actually offer to extend the rate (base case scenario) or explain that the additional nights will be at a higher rate. Either way, the contracted rate is good until either the room block sells out or until April 12, 2017. Availability and rate cannot be guaranteed once the room block is sold out or after this date. Please follow this link for the discount, or call and mention the Gap Year Conference:
The Curtis Hotel, a Double Tree hotel by Hilton
Address: 1405 Curtis Street, Denver, CO 80202
Phone:(720)889-4713
PARKING is available in the Curtis Hotel parking lot for $20/day to Conference Attendees and Hotel Guests as a discounted rate. Parking permits can be bought at the front desk or added to your hotel bill. There's a discount if you park before 8am and leave before 6pm that day - with fees dropping to $12/day in those cases.
TRANSPORTATION FROM DIA is available through Uber or Lyft and costs $35-$40 one-way. Taxis run around $55 one way.

Or, to use the new Lightrail line, hop onto the A Line downstairs on the south side underneath the black Westin (W-shaped) hotel which is located in the transit center. Check out the schedule on www3.rtd-denver.com, click westbound for schedule. It is 23 miles between DIA and Union Station and takes 37 minutes. It runs every 15 minutes during peak travel times and every 30 minutes from 3-5am and 6:30pm to 1am. It costs $9 one way and tickets can be purchased at the vending machines located on the train platform using cash or credit cards. Once on the train, it will take you to Union Station where you'll get off and go outside and hop onto the 16th street free mall shuttle to get dropped off at 16th & Curtis. It's a two-block walk from there.
BIKE RENTAL is available nearby at B-Cycle which is located throughout Denver. A wonderful bike path is near the Curtis Hotel on the Platte River Greenway. For bike rental, go to Denver B-Cycle.
POSTAGE & MAILING. Address incoming packages to:
Your Name
Gap Year Conference, May 6, 2017
Attn: American Gap Association
C/O Ashleigh Buhr
The Curtis a Doubletree Hotel by Hilton
1405 Curtis Street
Denver, CO. 80202
Boxes __ of ___ (multiple boxes MUST be numbered)

2017 SCHEDULE - Final

Saturday, May 6 - Preconference Day:

To attend either of the preconference events, please register at the general conference registration page. The preconference day is limited to 30 attendees in each session so please register early. Attendance at future Accreditation Workshops is required for all Accredited members at least once every third year.

9:00am - 12:00pm: "10 Years in Operations or, AGA-Accredited." Time for AGA Accredited and those organizations in operation for longer than 10 years - $60 includes lunch
9:00am - 12:00pm: "Screening Participants for International Programs" with Bill Frederick and his team from Lodestone Safety International who bring to us arguably one of the most comprehensive backgrounds in international risk management in the country. Robust participant screening programs can effectively reduce the number of such instances. However, concern for violating legal statutes or creating a greater duty of care often inhibits the objective analysis of participant’s medical and mental health histories. This session will survey the pertinent legal statutes and share some perspectives as to their applicability to your program or international programs in general. We’ll look at a multi-tiered system of potential components, approaches and procedures - $60 includes lunch
12:00pm - 1:00pm: Lunch
1:00pm - 4:00pm: "Accreditation Workshop." For those organizations interested in Accreditation and new to the Standards & Accreditation process - $60 includes lunch
1:00pm - 4:00pm: "Mentorship & Rites of Passage." Facilitated by Randy Russell, this is a deep dive into good mentorship practices and cultivating the power of a Rite of Passage for this age - $60 includes lunch

Sunday, May 7 - Conference Day One:

9:00am - 10:00am: Brian Stafford Keynote, Introduction to the Conference, State of the Field
10:00am - 10:30am: break/tea/coffee/snacks/games/networking
10:30am - 11:45am: Concurrent 75 minute panel sessions to present some of the best we know

"No Easy Answers: Addressing the Issue of Substance Misuse, Abuse, and Addiction on Gap Year Programs" - Scott Burnett, Pacific Discovery & Robin Pendoley, Thinking Beyond Borders
"Launching Successfully: Mental Health Challenges and Supports for a Positive Gap Year" - Rachel Singer, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
"Increasing Diversity: Scholarships are NOT the Answer" - Hansell Bourdon, Carpe Mundi

11:45am - 12:00pm: break/tea/coffee/snacks/games/networking
12:00pm - 12:45pm: Concurrently Facilitated 45 minute Roundtable Discussions

"Gap Year Website Effectiveness" - Kate Warren, Center for Interim Programs
"The Male Paradigm and its Challenges: Guys, Gap Years, and Behavior" - William Schiffelbein, Colorado College
"Mind the Gap: Considerations in Building a Gap Year Program" - Elizabeth Coder, Elon University
"AGA Committee on Inclusion & Access: Open table discussion and priority-setting for the next year" - Ethan Knight, AGA & Stacey Williams, Pacific Discovery
"The Art of Organized Chaos - Reconstructing the Mental Model as a Pathway to Global Success" - Adi Hila Yoffe & Tamar Zilbershatz, Masa Israel
"The Cognitive Benefits of Intercultural Gap Experiences"[part 1 of 2] - Danny Recio, The Bridge Costa Rica

12:45pm - 2:15pm: Lunch
2:15pm - 3:00pm: Concurrently Facilitated 45 minute Roundtable Discussions

"Turning Higher Education Frontwards" - Michelle Jones, Wayfinding Academy 2-year College
"The Cognitive Benefits of Intercultural Gap Experiences"[part 2 of 2] - Danny Recio, The Bridge Costa Rica
"Reflecting on Experience: Promoting Learning & Transformation" - Neal Taylor, Expedition Education
"AGA Committee on Standards & Accreditation: Open table discussion and priority-setting" - Ethan Knight, AGA
"So... is this Program Just for Rich Kids? Solving the Gap Year PR Problem" - Ben Welbourn & Julien Goetz, Winterline Global Skills
"A GAP Year on Every Resume" - Sean Keener & Jennifer Miller, Boots N All / AirTreks / Travel Access Project

3:00pm - 3:15pm: break/tea/coffee/snacks/games/networking
3:15pm - 4:00pm: Concurrently Facilitated 45 minute Roundtable Discussions

"Part 1 of 2: Mental Health Crisis Response: A Real-Time Table Top Exercise" - Gary Robinson & Laura Thompson, P3 Mental Health Advisors, and Stacey Williams, Pacific Discovery, and Dave Dennis, Rustic Pathways
"Part 1 of 2: Creating Cultures for Student Empowerment and Accountability" - Aaron Slosberg, Where There Be Dragons
"Part 1 of 2: Cultural Competence Framework: Context and Content for Pre, During, and Post-Service Training" - Nolan Sutker, World Teach
"AGA Committee on Growing the Field: Open table discussion and priority-setting" - Joe O'Shea, Florida State University & AGA Board President
"Discrimination, Intolerance, and Objectivity - Navigating Increasingly Diverse Group Dynamics in a Hyper-Political Era" - Jane Sarouhan, Center for Interim Programs, and Killian O'Kelly & Ryan Allen, Irish Gap Year
"Part 1 of 2: Service Years as Gap Years" - Jenna Dell, Service Year Alliance

4:00pm - 4:15pm: break/tea/coffee/snacks/games/networking
4:15pm - 5:00pm: Concurrently Facilitated 45 minute Roundtable Discussions

"Part 2 of 2: Mental Health Crisis Response: A Real-Time Table Top Exercise" (Note, for this session, part 2 is closed unless attending part 1) - Gary Robinson & Laura Thompson, P3 Mental Health Advisors, and Stacey Williams, Pacific Discovery, and Dave Dennis, Rustic Pathways
"Part 2 of 2: Creating Cultures for Student Empowerment and Accountability" - Aaron Slosberg, Where There Be Dragons
"Part 2 of 2: Cultural Competence Framework: Context and Content for Pre, During, and Post-Service Training" - Nolan Sutker, World Teach
"AGA Committee on Research: Open table discussion and priority-setting" - Karl Haigler, Haigler Enterprises, Author, AGA Board & Luke Parrot, Kivu Gap Year
"Exploring Barriers to Entry for Lower Income & Rural - Summary Research & Discussion" - Erin Barnhart, Effective Altruism
"Part 2 of 2: Service Years as Gap Years" - Jenna Dell, Service Year Alliance

5:30pm - 7:00pm: End of Day Reception hosted by local Gap Year Organizations: Taylor The Gap Consulting, Where There Be Dragons, Thinking Beyond Borders, High Mountain Institute, Outward Bound, & Youth International

Monday, May 8 - Conference Day Two:

9:00am - 10:00am: Lauren Casteel Keynote, Shared Vision for Gap Year, Innovations at the AGA
10:00am - 10:30am: break/tea/coffee/snacks/games/networking
10:30am - 11:45am: Concurrent 75 minute panel sessions to present some of the best we know

"Working with Participants with Disabilities, One-on-One" - Juanita Lillie, Abroad with Disabilities
"Reducing Barriers to Gap Years: A Case Study" - Sarah Smith & Cecilia Polanco (alumnae), UNC Chapel Hill
"The Visual Transcript: The Next Evolution of Experiential Academic Transcriptions" - Rod Parks, Elon University

11:45am - 12:00pm: break/tea/coffee/snacks/games/networking
12:00pm - 12:45pm: Concurrently Facilitated 45 minute Roundtable Discussions

"Shattering the Silence of Sexual Violence: Tips for Effectively Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence" - Stacey Williams, Pacific Discovery & Laura Thompson, P3 Mental Health
"Discrimination, Intolerance, and Objectivity - Navigating Increasingly Diverse Group Dynamics in a Hyper-Political Era. Roundtable 2nd offering" - Jane Sarouhan, Center for Interim Programs, and Jake Lewis, Gap at Glen Brook
"Managing Parent Relationships on Program: Best Practices for Improving Outcomes for Students" - Jennifer Miller, Travel Access Project
"The Transformative Potential of Gap Years" - Erin Johnston, Stanford University
"AGA Committee on Ethics and Judicial Processes - Open table discussion and priority-setting" - Candice Washington, Hosteling International USA
"Strategies for Minimizing Risks in your Contractor & Partner Relationships" - Doug Stevens, Caplan and Earnest LLC

12:45pm - 2:15pm: Lunch
2:15pm - 3:00pm: Concurrently Facilitated 45 minute Roundtable Discussions

"Meeting Individual Students 'Where They Are' in a Group Setting During a Gap Semester" - Billy O'Donnell, Ridge Mountain Academy
"Mind the Gap While Abroad - an Insurance Crash Course" - Maggie Robinson, iNext Insurance
"Adding New Locations, Themes & Curricula" - Bull & Jason Sarouhan, Center for Interim Programs
"AGA Committee on Partnerships & Memberships - Open table discussion and priority-setting" - Mitch Gordon, GoOverseas
"Better Together: Towards a Smoother Gap-to-College Transition" - Erin Jensen, Portland State University

3:00pm - 3:15pm: break/tea/coffee/snacks/games/networking
3:15pm - 4:00pm: Concurrently Facilitated 45 minute Roundtable Discussions

"Part 1 of 2: Rethinking Student Dismissals" - Reed Harwood & Aaron Slosberg, Where There Be Dragons
"Part 1 of 2: Using Digital Learning Technology to Make International Volunteering and Internship Gap Years More Ethical, Educational, and Affordable" - Willy Oppenheim & Will Horne, Omprakash
"Part 1 of 2: Alumni Voices: A Deeper Look at the AGA 2015 Alumni Survey Data" - Corinne Guidi, PhD Extraordinaire
"1st offering: AGA Think Tank - Meet the Leadership of AGA and Collaborate on Big-Picture Efforts" - Ethan Knight, AGA
"You Belong To The World: An Ecological Lens for Gap Reflection" - Jake Lewis & Alison Sever, Gap at Glen Brook
Open for Crowd-Sourced Topic to be decided Sunday ...

4:00pm - 4:15pm: break/tea/coffee/snacks/games/networking
4:15pm - 5:00pm: Concurrently Facilitated 45 minute Roundtable Discussions

"Part 2 of 2: Rethinking Student Dismissals" - Reed Harwood & Aaron Slosberg, Where There Be Dragons
"Part 2 of 2: Using Digital Learning Technology to Make International Volunteering and Internship Gap Years More Ethical, Educational, and Affordable" - Willy Oppenheim & Will Horne, Omprakash
"Part 2 of 2: Alumni Voices: A Deeper Look at the AGA 2015 Alumni Survey Data" - Corinne Guidi, PhD Extraordinaire
"2nd offering: AGA Think Tank - Meet the Leadership of AGA and Collaborate on Big-Picture Efforts" - Ethan Knight, AGA
Open for Crowd-Sourced Topic to be decided Sunday ...
Open for Crowd-Sourced Topic to be decided Sunday ...

5:30pm - 7:00pm: Free time to network and explore Denver

Tuesday, May 9th - Free Time for Work Catch-up & Fun Activities:

Free Denver walking tour-2 hours long. Meet at Civic Center Park at 10am. Flat 1.8 miles in length and wheelchair accessible. Meeting place-The Veteran's Memorial, 1449 Lincoln St., Denver, CO.
The Veteran's Memorial is located one block west (towards the mountains) of the Capitol building. Colfax Ave. is to the north, 14th Ave. is to the south, Lincoln St. is directly east and Broadway is to the west. Walking distance from hotel. Ending location-Coors Field (baseball stadium), 2001 Blake St.
United States Mint Tour, walking distance from hotel. 320 West Colfax Avenue. Free tour tickets are available at the Tour Information window located at the Gift Shop entrance gate on Cherokee Street, between West Colfax Avenue and West 14th Avenue. Tickets are for same-day tours only; no advance tickets are available. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to 5 per person. All visitors must be at the tour entrance located on Cherokee Street 30 minutes before their scheduled tour time. Tour hours-8am-3:30pm and are 45 minutes in length. Sale information-#303-572-9500. DenMintTourRes@usmint.treas.gov, Special Requirements-If you require special assistance (e.g., sign language interpreters, wheelchair assistance) please contact us at least ten days in advance by email DenMintTourRes@usmint.treas.gov, or call at 303-405-4761.
Denver Zoo-Uber
Larimer Square-shopping/restaurants (walking distance)
Denver Center for Performance Arts (200 feet away from Curtis): check out the shows on www.denvercenter.org for dates and times and purchase of tickets. These three shows/musicals are showing at the smaller theaters during the conference:
1. Travelers of Lost Dimension
2. The Secret Garden
3. Coors Field-May 8 and 9, 6:40pm. Rockies vs World Series champions Chicago Cubs-both nights. coorsfield.eventticketscenter.com or 866-820-4553 for tickets. (16th Street shuttle and walk)

16th street mall-2 blocks from Curtis-restaurants, bars

Bowling-Lucky Strike (near 16th Street Pavilions-walking distance)
Denver Art Museum (walking distance)
Anschutz Museum- Navarre building (walking distance)
Denver open market -Rhino (Uber)
The Source-shops and restaurants(Uber)
REI-large shopping mountaineering outlet (16th street shuttle and walking distance)
Kayak at confluence of Platte River (walking distance)
bike path/bike rental (through hotel) by the hour or day (Platte River Greenway bike path is near hotel)
Denver Aquarium-shuttle and walk or Uber
Union Station-bars/restaurants (16th street shuttle)

Wednesday, May 10 - IECA Conference:

The IECA Conference officially starts Wednesday with their almost 2,000 anticipated attendees. We encourage you to visit and register separately for their conference.
5:45pm - 7:30pm: AGA is hosting a reception at the IECA conference for AGA Accredited Members to showcase the high quality and diversity of Gap Year programs we represent. There is an additional fee to cover our costs and this will be a cocktail/appetizer event for IECs to come and visit.

2016 INTERNATIONAL GAP YEAR CONFERENCE - BOSTON, MA

Remembering the 2016 Conference

The 2016 Gap Year conference was hosted by the non-profit American Gap Association, in partnership with EnRoute Gap Year Consulting and the Independent Educational Consultants Association. The IECA Spring Conference followed ours and was designed for the Independent Educational Consultant community.

2016 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sunday, May 1:

9:00am - 10:00am: All attendees are welcome. Ethan will give an update on AGA, its committees, and the State of the Field. Karl Haigler, AGA Board Member & Research Committee Chair, will share results of the National Alumni Survey. And we will share information about a new online curricula available to all AGA members called the Impact Abroad Toolkit.
10:15am - 11:30am: Concurrent panel sessions to present some of the best we know in the realm of program security, mental health, and more. The panel sessions are available for any attendee to attend any session.
11:30am - 1:00pm: Lunch & networking
1:00pm - 1:15pm: Introduction to Discussion Roundtable options
1:15pm - 2:45pm: Concurrent discussion-centered Roundtables. We will have different tracks for Educational Consultants and Program Providers.
2:45pm - 3:00pm: Introduction to Roundtable options + Coffee
3:00pm - 4:30pm: Roundtables as different tracks for IECs and Program Providers.
End of Day Reception - EVERYONE IS INVITED. Co-hosted by Ridge Mountain Academy & GoOverseas.com

Monday, May 2:

9:00am - 10:00am: Keynote Speaker - Rick Weissbourd, Harvard Graduate School of Education, author of Turning the Tide report on making college admissions more human-friendly.
10:15am - 11:30am: Concurrent panel sessions to present some of the best we know. All attendees are welcome to any session this day.

"Effective school outreach" - Led by Marie Schwartz, CEO, TeenLife.com
"Student Panel: What Convinced Me to Take a Gap Year" - Facilitated by Cara Murray & Nathan Scott, Winterline Gap Year Program

11:30am - 1:00pm: Lunch & networking
1:00pm - 1:15pm: Introduction to Discussion Roundtable options
1:15pm - 2:45pm: Concurrent discussion-centered Roundtables. This second day will be SHARED tracks for Educational Consultants and Program Providers.
2:45pm - 3:00pm: Introduction to Roundtable options + Coffee
3:00pm - 4:30pm: Roundtables as SHARED track for IECs and Program Providers.
End of Day Reception - EVERYONE IS INVITED. Hosted by TeenLife Media

Tuesday, May 3: GAP N GO & School Visits

9:00am - 4:00pm: "Gap N Go" opportunity that costs an additional $200 for Providers, and $150 for IECs. This is a proven format where organizations have a dedicated 25 minutes with pre-registered IECs to share about their program, develop a personal relationship with program representatives (usually holding some executive role), and for IECs to ask questions. Lunch and drinks will be provided.

The current list of Gap N Go Providers are:
James Bridge - InterExchange, Jake Lewis - Gap at Glen Brook, Richard Nimmo - Blue Ventures Expeditions, Danny Ponce-Taylor - Global Vision International, Eva Vanek - Where There Be Dragons, Delores Fabregas - CIEE, Rebecca Thomas - Pacific Discovery, Sophia Weeks - ARCC Gap Year, Stephen Barnes - Thinking Beyond Borders, Randy Russell - InnerPath Works, Tim Porter-DeVriese - Rustic Pathways, Liz Hesterberg - Cross Cultural Solutions, Jenny Doder - Academic Programs International (API). Note that the waitlist is currently two organizations deep.
The current list of Gap N Go IECs are:
Diane Geller, Jason & Jane Sarouhan, Julie Gross, Lisa Thomas, Betsy Donnelly, Ramona Wessel, Alex Steinert-Evoy, Sandy Storer, Katie Sterns, Lucy Shih, and Katie Garrett.

9:00am - 4:00pm: For providers and attendees NOT attending the Gap N Go event, we will have some loosely structured marketing opportunities with two local schools and unstructured networking opportunities with IECs who arrive early. Please plan on bringing promotional materials for these events. For those wishing to do a school visit, please email Madelaine Eulich to RSVP. The following two schools will be stacked and AGA will reimburse transportation costs for this event.

Meridian Academy
10:15am - 11:00am
54 Brookside Avenue
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
(617) 277-1118

Meridian Academy is an independent, diverse, project-based school serving sixth through twelfth graders in the Boston area. The visit to Meridian Academy will be held from 10:15am - 11:00am on Tuesday, May 3. Students in tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades will be in attendance (roughly 28 students).
Buckingham, Browne, & Nichols
12:40pm - 1:20pm
80 Gerrys Landing Rd
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 547-6100

Buckingham, Browne, & Nichols (or BB&N) is a private day school based in Cambridge and serving pre-K through twelfth graders. The visit to BB&N will be held from 12:40pm - 1:20pm on Tuesday, May 3.

Wednesday, May 4 - May 7: IECA Conference

The IECA Conference officially starts Wednesday with some of the 1,500 attendees. Please use your $100 AGA discount code to register and attend the IECA Conference and network with this amazing body of educational consultants and experts.

2015 INTERNATIONAL GAP YEAR CONFERENCE - BALTIMORE, MD

Our First Gap Year Conference just concluded hosting some 63 attendees from four continents! What a start and just the beginning of this snowball!
Posted by American Gap Association on May 4-8, 2015