gap year fairs

Great article from MSNBC Nov 2010 reveals gap year trend steadily growing in US.

Linda H. Connelly, post-high school counselor at New Trier Township High School, outside of Chicago, was quoted as saying "Low achievers, ultra-high achievers, and those in between, and can benefit from time off, to stave off burnout and indulge in a little self-discovery...they want to explore what’s out there in the world. It’s a time to reflect and not at such a fast pace. Students learn a lot, it helps them figure out what they want. I see kids blossom, find their passions.”
Read More U.S. students taking ‘gap year’ break..

Listen to Planet Gap Year interview the 2009 Gap Year Fairs Sponsor, Greg Cappello of Dynamy Internship Year. Discover why students and parents across the U.S. are jumping at the opportunity to attend these events.



Planet Gap Year interviews students and parents at the 2009 Denver Gap Year Fair about the 'gap year' concept, and reasons for taking a year out before committing to college.

Planet Gap Year's video productions arm visited Denver's Sherman Events Complex last Wednesday evening to find out first hand what the "gap year" buzz is all about.

Attending a Gap Year Fair may open your eyes to post-high school opportunities for self-exploration and personal growth, and is likely to lead to clearer direction and motivation for college studies and for your life!

What is a gap year?: In case you didn't know, a "gap year" provides a post-high-school opportunity for exploration and growth leading to clearer direction and motivation for college studies and for life beyond!

Wednesday night at the Sherman Event Center in Denver, over 125 parents and students turned out at Denver's first ever gap year fair to meet representatives from 22 U.S. and international gap year organizations offering post-high school opportunities for self-exploration and personal growth. Educational organizations providing travel, cultural immersion, directed study, service projects, internships opportunities and more jumped at this opportunity to exhibit at the fair and answer questions from curious parents and students eager to jump on the gap year band wagon.

Less than one week from now Denver Colorado will be holding its first ever student Gap Year Fair at the Sherman Center downtown. High school & college students, parents, counselors and educators from up and down the Front Range will come to meet representatives from a variety of programs offering volunteer, internship, language study, international travel and exploration, leadership development, cross cultural learning and more! Click here to see list of gap year exhibitors.

Gap year programs and opportunities exhibiting at the 2009 Gap Year Opportunities Fair in Denver on Feb. 4, 2009:

Dynamy Internship Year
Up with People
Leader's Challenge
The Center for Interim Programs
AmeriCorps NCCC
AustraLearn/Asia/Learn/EuroLearn
Bridgton Academy
Brown Ledge Gap Year

Carpe Diem
City Year
Global College - Long Island University
Meaningful Travel

LEAPNOW - Transforming Education
Planet Gap Year
Rustic Pathways
Sea|mester
Sojourns Abroad
SFYI International School
Thinking Beyond Borders
Where There Be Dragons
World Campus - Japan Program
Youth International (Experience the World)

Following is a sampling of gap year program exhibitors that were invited to Gap Year Opportunities Fairs 2008.

Gap Year Opportunities Fairs
2008
Program Profiles

Dynamy Internship Year -
Dynamy Internship Year is the oldest and only residential internship program in the country. Our mission is to offer young people, ages 17-22, a transformational gap year (or semester) opportunity. Located in Worcester, Massa¬chusetts, Dynamy Internship Year integrates full-time mentored internships in over 240 organizations with urban and backcountry leadership experiences, personal and college/career advising, city apartment living, and the com¬pany of a remarkable group of peers.

GlobalQuest -

Dynamy Internship Year in Worcester, MA is sponsoring a second year of gap year opportunities fairs around the US starting in January. Last year's fairs attracted hundreds of students and parents at several venues. In order to meet the public's growing interest in gap year options, the organizers are doubling the number of fairs for 2009! Click here to see profiles of last year's exhibitors. Entrance to the Gap Year Opportunities Fairs 2009 are free and open to the public. Exibitors can register by contacting the Fairs' sponsor, Dynamy Internship Year, Worcester, MA.

Click here to see video of students and parents being interviewed about gap year at the Denver Gap Year Fair last week.

Gap Year Fairs 2009 (updated 2.05.09) Bookmark this page, and return for updates!