SHOULD I TAKE A GAP YEAR?

Discover Year

Discover Year is a one-year career and life skills program* that helps young adults develop self-awareness, confidence, motivation and interpersonal skills through experiential learning, mentorship and interactive education.

* Discover Year is a certified Canadian post-secondary program. Program fees are RESP-eligible, and can be claimed as a tuition tax credit, reducing the effective cost to most students and families.

Click here to learn more.

Projects Abroad

In Projects Abroad Global Gap Year Abroad program, students volunteer in organized conservation projects and health and education outreach programs, as well as sight-see, on three continents—south America, East Africa and Asia. The program runs from September to March and includes time for independent travel. For students who can’t commit to seven months away, six- to 10-week Gap Semester programs are also available.

Cost: $23,250 for Global Gap Year Abroad;

$7,345 to $8,795 for Gap Semester, plus flights, visas and insurance

Click here to learn more.

GVI Canada

GVI Canada arranges volunteer trips specifically aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and students can easily find one that matches their interests and career aspirations, whether that’s conservation, education, public health or gender equality.

Cost: Prices vary. For instance, an eight-week trip to Thailand to help with a conservation project for elephants and sea turtles is $11,495. In Cambodia, students can volunteer for a gender-equality project for as little as one week for $1,845, plus flights, visas and insurance.

Click here to learn more.

Katimavik

Katimavik’s Future Perfect is a 14-week program where participants get paid work in the tourism industry in a Canadian city (last year, it was Quebec City), as well as free accommodations, utilities, home phone and Internet, training and workshops. Travel expenses are also covered. The program is open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents or landed refugees aged 18 to 30.

Cost: Free

Click here to learn more.

International Experience Canada

A government site where Canadians aged 18 to 35 can apply to work in one of more than 30 countries, or reach out to one of the recognized organizations on IEC’s list for assistance with finding employment and more.

Click here to learn more.

Canadian Gap Year Association

CanGap is a non-profit organization that supports families on their gap year journey and connects them with resources they need to make it a purposeful year. We also support educators and gap year programs.

For more info, click here

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