Gap Year Association Celebrates Gap Year Exploration Month in February

News provided by

EF Gap Year; The Gap Year Association

Feb 05, 2019, 06:00 ET

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gap Year Association today announced the start of Gap Year Exploration Month. Taking a gap year is a growing trend and the Gap Year Association is excited to announce Gap Year Exploration Month celebrated annually in the month of February, as a shared initiative of educators, experiential education experts, program providers, industry groups and others who understand the benefits of a gap year.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, fewer than 40 percent of students enrolling in college in 2019 will finish their degrees within four years. For this reason, more and more students are deferring their college enrollment for a year of travel, personal growth, and professional skills development.

There are many different gap year opportunities available out there, it's important to pick a program that meets your needs and goals. For example, EF Gap Year and Winterline Global Education are both programs that appeal to students who want to try a variety of different experiences all over the world during their gap year. Outward Bound and NOLS focus more on outdoor and wilderness training. Where There Be Dragons builds self-awareness and cross-cultural competencies through adventure programs around the globe. City Year is a domestic program where students can intern in inner city schools to help students stay in school and on track to graduate. There are options out there for everyone.

"Gap Year students often earn better grades in college [and] the positive effects of taking a gap year appear to endure over all four years of college," according to Robert Clagget, former dean of Middlebury College.

"Immersing myself in Chinese culture has been an incredibly enriching experience in so many ways. I feel like I'm becoming a member of our global community by exploring the unique cultures of our world," says Rebekah Lamb, EF Gap Year '18 Alumnae

Students and parents can get involved in Gap Year Exploration Month in many ways. There are local events all over the country in addition to national events hosted online, including 20 USA Gap Year Fair events.

Students, parents and counselors can view all Gap Year Exploration Month events nationwide here and can visit The Gap Year Association https://www.gapyearassociation.org/ for more information.

Press Contact:

Dianna Hahn

Associate Director of the Gap Year Association, [email protected], 503-206-7336

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wweSXxMf2I8&feature=youtu.be

SOURCE EF Gap Year; The Gap Year Association