A “gap” year has long been popular for European high schoolers who gathered some real-world experience before going on to college. “The gap concept is now finding popularity in the United States,” maintains Adventures Cross-Country (ARCC).
The company cites a recent survey of 300,000 freshmen at four-year colleges with 1.2 percent waiting a year to enter college, according to the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles
Adventures Cross-Country’s newest programs are “GAP Semesters” in Africa and Asia.
"Our GAP programs have a rich academic fabric complementing each location. We don’t want parents or students to think of this as a vacation. It is an educational, life-changing adventure filled with discovery and hard work," said Scott von Eschen, President of Adventures Cross-Country.
GAP Africa explores the majesty, cultures, and challenges of three East African nations: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
GAP Asia is described as “a unique blend of education, service and exploration of the intriguing and ancient cultures of Thailand, China and Tibet.”
ARCC’s GAP Semester programs are an opportunity to live, work, learn and explore in some of the greatest classrooms on earth, the company says.
The programs examine five essential themes: “Literacy & Education, Public Health, Urbanization & the Movement of Peoples, Environment & Conservation, and Microfinance & Economic Growth.”
Adventures Cross Country was started in 1983.
By David Wilkening
