Students who go abroad as Global Gap Year Fellows gain skills like tim — Gap year

"Students selected as Global Gap Year Fellows will have two tracks that they could pursue...a "self-design" gap year which allows students to spend six to nine months abroad completing a service-related experience of their choice with the guidance of GGYF staff and mentors. The second track is a community immersion with Global Citizen Year for students who prefer a more structured experience abroad in Ecuador, Brazil, Senegal or India for eight months. Both tracks are service-based."

"Those who participated in a gap year had, on average, shorter times to graduation and higher GPAs as compared to national norms;"

"The general experience of “being in a new and different environment” was the most meaningful element of the overall gap year experience;"

"Key characteristics of a transformative gap year: It is purposeful and practical, involving some element of service to others; it takes students out of their comfort zone, challenging them to learn new skills and try on new perspectives; it offers the right balance of autonomy and mentoring to help students build self-confidence and a sense of purpose; it is accessible to students from all economic backgrounds."

"For those who are thinking about taking a gap year, regardless of what stage in life they’re at, Amar encourages them to take the opportunity and go for it. “It can be difficult to make decisions about your career or indeed your life at 18 when the majority of your life experience has been in your hometown,” he says. ” Taking a gap year gives you a much needed break from education and allows you to re-charge and re-focus giving you a better and more rounded perspective on what you want to do... this applies to everyone.”"

"Gappers currently experience higher levels of job satisfaction and civic participation as compared to national norms..."