US Study Abroad Org Marketing Gap Year to US Students
In the US the gap year industry is still in its infancy, but take notice, US based organizations that offer students opportunities to volunteer, intern, study abroad, travel, learn a language or outdoor skills and certifications are frequently advertising 'gap year' programs. This is an effort to take advantage of the increasing numbers of US students taking a year out before starting college.
For example, CIEE, The Council on International Educational Exchange, in Portland Maine, a leading international education organization, now markets gap year programs for college-bound graduates. The potential benefits of the gap year, according to CIEE's website, include: broadening global perspective; fostering independence and gaining self-knowledge; developing leadership and becoming a responsible global citizen. What does the experience entail? According to CIEE's website, spending a year or a semester living with a family abroad, studying and improving fluency in a modern language and volunteering in the community or working as an English teacher. What a great program! Getting immersed in a foreign culture at this level will definitely give a students' academic goals greater purpose and prepare them for their transition to college in a unique way.