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Today on the pod, your co-hosts Julia and Margo come together to get excited for Gap Year Exploration Month (which begins today)! We discuss the various opportunities this month to #explorethegapyear, and how you can remain engaged through this exciting month of opportunities. Additionally we delve into the somewhat daunting task of funding your gap year. We provide you with various ideas and tools to make your gap year dreams become a reality.

This episode features Sam Ballard, an alum of Dynamy Internship Year's class of 2021. Sam spent both his fall and spring semesters of his gap year with Dynamy, a domestic gap year program based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Sam was able to participate in two very different internship opportunities in Worcester during his year, with his fall semester being at an automotive shop and his spring semester being at a digital marketing agency. Sam shares with us the many insights gained from these two unique working opportunities, as well as more about the structure of the program at Dynamy and how that has not only helped to direct his studies in college this year but furthermore allowed him to develop many useful life skills that have proved incredibly helpful now at college!

Today on the pod we have Kevin Fagan joining us, a gap year alum who participated in Where There Be Dragons' Andes and Amazon semester for his fall term, and then spent the second half of his gap year solo backpacking through Europe. Kevin shares with us some highlights from his semester in South America with Dragons and some of his biggest takeaways from this experience, as well as how that semester helped launch him into more independent travels and adventures for his spring semester. Kevin is a recent graduate of Gonzaga University and is now working in sustainability consulting in the Spokane, Washington area, and as someone who is five years out from these experiences is able to share with us how his gap year continues to impact his passions and career path today.

In 2019, Luke participated in the Tufts 1+4 Bridge Year program with Amigos de las Américas in Cuenca, Ecuador. He lived with a host family and worked at Fundación Crea tu Espacio, a non-profit that aids migrants during their transitory periods. Some of his responsibilities included working at daycare centers for toddlers, organizing fundraisers, facilitating workshops, and assisting with a community-based project to build an auxiliary location for the Fundación. Luke also talks about how his gap year offered him the space to explore his sexual orientation and ethnic identity. tells us why his bridge year was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of his life. You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com And lastly you can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

Listen to our conversation with Jenae Edwards, who tells us all about how she filled an unexpected covid gap year with meaning. ⁠ ⁠ Jenae used her gap time to create art and delve deeper into my love of art, while picking up a new skill of skateboarding and learning a lot from the community on her island. She says her perspective of home has completely changed as a result of spending her gap time in the Bahamas...how you wonder? Well take a listen to find out! You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com And lastly you can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

Episode 702 brings you our conversation with Aliza Saunders, a 18/19 alum of Tinvu: Building Justice. Tivnu is a nine-month gap year program focused on social justice engagement. ⁠ ⁠ Participants create a community living together, discovering the Pacific Northwest, and exploring the bond between Jewish life and social justice while working with Portland’s cutting-edge grassroots organizations.⁠ You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

We open our newest season with covid gapper Dan Schmidt who has a super interesting gap year story. As a creative, Dan expanded his professional skill set by spending a large chunk of his year as a videographer for the Adventures with Purpose YouTube channel. He helped bring the channel from 250,000 subscribers to over 1 million, all while traveling the country, learning to pilot drones and solving missing person cases through AWP efforts. Adventures With Purpose specializes in raising submerged vehicles out of bodies of water. AWP got started as an environmental operation but has since helped solve 10 Cold Cases, providing answers and closure for families seeking answers. They have also removed 100+ vehicles from lakes and rivers since 2019. You can find us here at Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com And lastly you can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

Today on the pod we are excited to have Ethan Knight, founding director of the Gap Year Association. Julia and Margo take some time to talk to Ethan about the history of the Gap Year Association (GYA), his personal path that brought him here, the meaning of life, climate based gap years, and the current state of the field after a challenging pandemic year.  You can find Ethan and his colleagues at the Gap Year Association online at https://www.gapyearassociation.org/ or on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearassociation.

Today on the pod we have Vanesia Dedmon joining us to share about her semester with Carpe Mundi in Spring of 2019 in Spain and Morocco. She shares with us some of her biggest takeaways from her time abroad, as well as a few highlight memories from homestays and trekking in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, to a week on foot on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, to name a few.

Maytal Agasi took a gap year because she wanted to break out of the classroom and have an adventure in the real world. And boy, did she! Maytal spent her gap year working on a sustainable farm in Israel with Eco-Israel, traveling and participating in service-learning projects in East Africa with Carpe Diem Education and working closer to home as well. Maytal tells us that her gap time away from formal education gave her an outlet for the first time in her life to learn effectively.  Through these experiences, her ambitions shifted completely. Originally aiming to major in art history, her time in Israel transformed her into a proud environmentalist and permaculturalist. Her experience in East Africa offered her a chance for a big adventure -  to travel in a new place while learning about the culture through ethical service projects and homestays.  Maytal took her gap time a couple years ago, long before the pandemic upended the way we can travel. She tells us how her gap time prepared her for the challenges of the pandemic and how she took the pandemic disruption as an opportunity to have another adventure.  You can find Eco Israel at https://eco-israel.org/ and Carpe Diem Education at carpediemeducation.org. You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

Today on the pod we have Alison Sever, Program Director of Rising Earth Immersion at the Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, as well as Kaylah Brathwaite, Fall 2020 alum of the Rising Earth Immersion Program. This program is a holistic environmental leadership program that focuses on social justice, spirituality, and mindfulness. Alison and Kaylah tell us more about the philosophy and curriculum behind the REI program, as well as their own personal gap year and justice origin stories. You can find Rising Earth Immersion online at https://eco-institute.org/rising-earth-transformative-permaculture-immersion and on Instagram @the.eco.institute. You can find Gap Year Radio on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com. You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we'd love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

In this episode, you are going to hear from two exceptional Americorps NCCC members, Emma and Amelie. Emma and Amelie are currently in the middle of their service year and tell us all about the projects they have completed and a few that are still in front of them. Something similar across all NCCC experiences is the diversity of projects Corps members participate in - from disaster relief to trail building to volunteering at the Humane Society to vaccine distribution, these young women and their teams are making the US a better place one project at a time. They'll tell us more about the experience and what to expect as a Corps member. Find NCCC at https://www.americorps.gov/serve/fit-finder/americorps-nccc and on istagram at @americorpsnccc You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

In this episode, we continue to #explorethegapyear this Gap Year Exploration Month by learning about the diversity of gap year opportunities in Israel. Beyond the religious and cultural significance of the country, travel to Israel offers the opportunity to delve into its natural beauty, foodie culture, tech-startup excitement, archeological landmarks, and plenty of adventure. First we speak with gap alum Ayden Novick who spent his year with Young Judea in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Next you'll hear from Phyllis Folb, a gap year expert and executive director of the American Israel Gap Year Association. She also just wrote a book called Find Your Right Direction: The Israel Gap Year Guide. Find Phyllis at https://www.instagram.com/israelgapyear/ and aigya.org Find Young Judea at youngjudea.org Connect with Gap Year Radio: www.gapyearradiopodcast.com email gapyearradio@gmail.com Insta: https://www.instagram.com/gapyearradio/

We kick off Season Six (when did that happen?!) with an overview of Gap Year Exploration Month with youtuber Beatrice Naujalyte of the Bliss Bean. Beatrice will walk us through all the exciting ways to #explorethegapyear in February! Gap Year Exploration Month, or GYEM (pronounced “gem”), is a time to share information, recognize, support, and celebrate those who are considering or have taken a gap year. For the month of February, educators, program providers, industry groups, gap year alumni, and others come together to grow awareness of the gap year option and its benefits. More info: GapYearExplorationMonth.com Find Beatrice at www.theblissbean.com You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

Margo and Julia close out Season Five of Gap Year Radio by looking behind and looking ahead. We talk to international educational consultant Kempie Blythe about the results of the 2020 Gap Year Alumni Survey, a massive nation-wide survey conducted by the Gap Year Association. Kempie gives us a highlight reel of survey results that showcase the benefits and outcomes of the gap year option. Afterwards, Julia and Margo give an overview of gap year opportunities on offer for winter/spring 2021 and the safety protocols programs have in place to manage covid risk for students and communities. If you are taking a gap year or gap semester and looking information on what is possible, this episode is a must-listen! Resources we cite include: Gap Year Association: gapyearassociation.org GoOverseas: gooverseas.com Ladder: https://ladder.to/ Let's Gapp ‌You‌ ‌can‌ ‌find‌ ‌us‌ ‌here‌ ‌at‌ ‌Gap‌ ‌Year‌ ‌Radio‌ ‌on‌ ‌instagram‌ ‌and‌ ‌facebook‌ ‌@gapyearradio‌ ‌or‌ ‌online‌ ‌at‌ ‌gapyearradiopodcast.com‌ ‌ ‌ You‌ ‌can‌ ‌email‌ ‌us‌ ‌your‌ ‌gap‌ ‌year‌ ‌questions‌ ‌or‌ ‌comments‌ ‌at‌ ‌‌gapyearradio@gmail.com‌ ‌ If‌ ‌you‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌moment,‌ ‌we’d‌ ‌love‌ ‌for‌ ‌you‌ ‌to‌ ‌leave‌ ‌us‌ ‌a‌ ‌review‌ ‌on‌ ‌Apple‌ ‌Podcasts‌ ‌so‌ ‌more‌ ‌people‌ ‌can‌ ‌discover‌ ‌Gap‌ ‌Year‌ ‌Radio!‌ ‌ ‌

Joining us on the pod today is Tyler Newman, a current gapper and founder of a gap year program called Year of Mastery, which is an opportunity for students to unlock their fullest potential through 12 months of passion exploration. She tells us more about her accessible, student led peer support model that gives students the platform they need to succeed in their gap year. She also discusses her other personal endeavors, including tutoring in her free time, as well as the other projects she has recently founded. She shares about Afro Puff Chronicles, which gives womxn of color a platform to speak their truth through a celebration of art and writing, and her upcoming Women of Color virtual conference in March.

Today on the pod we are excited to host Jane and Jason Sarouhan, long time gap year counselors and co-founders of J2Guides. Many students this year have opted for the cross country road trip as a part of their gap year, and Jane and Jason have begun their own van life adventure this year with their daughter. They share with the listeners the fun adventures of life on the road, as well as what students might need to consider when planning their road trip.

"It all started with a conversation." That's how Justice in June co-founder Bryanna Wallace describes the genesis of the massively successful Justice in June resource. The conversation was a heart-to-heart with her best friend from college Autumn Gupta after the murder of George Floyd earlier this year. After this conversation, Autumn leapt into action to create a resource to help people become better allies to the black community. What started off as a google doc has grown into a website, an educational tool and another modality to ensure people continue active anti-racist education and action. In our conversation, we hear about the origin of Justice in June, how people can plug into the resource and their strategies for getting through this week and beyond, no matter the outcome of the election! You can find Justice in June online online at justiceinjune.org on Twitter and Instagram @justiceinjune And you can find us here at Gap Year Radio on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com. And, something new we’re trying out… if you have gap year planning questions please email us a voice memo of your question and we may use it in an upcoming episode!

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a covid gap year student? Are you curious what you'd do on a virtual gap year program? Today we hear from current gap year student Anushka Goel, who is participating in Global Citizen Academy. Global Citizen Academy is the virtual offering from Global Citizen Year, an organization that aims to build the next generation of global leaders. Anushka tells us how she is building that skill set alongside her virtual internship with OXFAM. You can find Global Citizen Academy online at globalcitizenyear.org on Twitter and Instagram @globalcitizenyr. And you can find us here at Gap Year Radio on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com. And, something new we’re trying out… if you have gap year planning questions please email us a voice memo of your question and we may use it in an upcoming episode!

Joining us today on the pod is Caleb Kyle, who spent last year on a gap year adventuring in the outdoors through New Zealand and Costa Rica. He discusses with us the two programs he participated in, and explains the experience one can have with Outward Bound in Costa Rica. He received numerous useful certifications during the program, and also shares with us the struggles they faced when the pandemic cut their time in Central America short.