Planning and Return Guides For Gappers
Planning a successful gap year should be done with a decent amount of purpose and intent - it doesn't have to be super-structured, in fact most students taking a gap year are doing the majority of it independently. That said, we strongly encourage STARTING with more structure and working into less, thus learning basic risk management, cross-cultural, and other life-safety skills before going out independently. In all our years working with Gap Year Education, we've learned that things change rapidly and there are many considerations to make so please take the time to do your research. Simple things, like establishing rules (e.g., communication, budget, insurance/visas/logistics, self-care, medication, supervision, relationships, academics, etc.) can be the difference between a gap year that transforms you, and one that's just "passing time."
Download the 2019 Gap Year Planning Guide
- Step 1: Make a list of goals you would like to achieve, skills you want to learn, and experiences you want to have.
- Step 2: Challenge yourself with where to go and what to do. Now is the time to experience the world by living in it.
- Step 3: Tackle the logistics. Consider implications for college after your gap year, and those of your actual gap year too.
Great Gap Year Books:
The book explains the life-long rewards of spending extended time in Israel, and helps readers define individual goals and desires as a prerequisite to the practical matter of finding the right program fit. The resource part of the book describes a range of programs that are secular, religious, adventurous, and career oriented. Stories from AIGYA Ambassadors—recent gappers who have chronicled their year on the AIGYA Instagram site—are woven throughout the book to personalize the text and give readers a taste of what is in store.
The American Israel Gap Year Association (AIGYA) is a non-profit organization offering events, counseling, and educational resources to help students see the breadth of opportunities in Israel. Find Your Right Direction: The Israel Gap Year Guide is rooted in AIGYA’s Executive Director’s decade long work in helping to send hundreds of kids each year to rewarding Gap Years in Israel.
Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson are gap year parents, authors, and researchers. In Gap Year, American Style, they explore the impact of taking time off on the road to and through college. Through a survey of approximately 300 gap alums and dozens of interviews with gappers and their parents, they explore key questions and offers practical advice, tips, and resources for those interested in pursuing a gap year option.
Throughout the book, readers encounter the personal stories of numerous gappers who describe in their own words the power of their experiences. That's not to say that young people stepping out in the world don't face challenges. They do. Or that parents will not be nervous about their child’s taking the path less travelled. They are. However, the authors join parents, students, educators, counselors and other stakeholders who find that a gap year can be a transformational experience that (re)ignites a passion for education and learning and leads to personal growth and global awareness. Based on Karl’s and Rae’s preliminary research, the impacts can persist long after the gap experience concludes.
Returning From Your Gap Year
Successfully navigating the transition home can be a bear for many - there are adjustments to pace, productivity, and of course purpose. Integrating those lessons learned from your gap year is the final and arguably most critical step towards launching into your next phase and this guide has been put together by the Alum Committee, with leadership by Marion Taylor (Taylor The Gap) & Sandy Storer (A Gap Away). Thank you to all who contributed!
Download the 2020 Gap Year Transition Guide
- Step 1: Unpack your gear.
- Step 2: Share your story.
- Step 3: Find your community.
- Step 4: Join the movement.
- Step 5: Launch your education.
- Step 6: Launch your career.
- Step 7: Change the world (and yourself) for the better.