Teen seeking Education Abroad experience during gap year
Our 18 year old starts college in fall 2017 and seeks a language or possibly work abroad experience in Spring 2017. Everything I see seems geared for either current high school or college students but not those in between HS and college. Any suggestions?
Jan 8, 2017
Parent Replies
Research Rotary International. I did a year abroad via the Rotary program (decades ago), which was life-changing. Many of the students studied during their gap year between high school and college.
Amigos de las Americas is a wonderful organization. They have gap-year and summer programs.
I took time off after HS (2003), and simply flew to Guatemala, found language classes, and taught myself spanish in 9 months while travelling. I think you don't need to find programs. They'll most likely disappoint. Traveling is immensely easy these days, with networks of buses, hostels, and tourist and "gap-year" programs possible to find on the ground.
Check out Blake Boles' Unschool Adventures. He is amazing with teens and the feedback I've personally heard from participants has been great. Like, life-changing great.
There's an organization called Where There be Dragons (not a great name) that offers summer and gap year programs, I know a young woman who spent half a year in Colombia with the program and had a wonderful experience.