Where to Go
Ideas for destinations and Gap Year funding
There are many ways for students to realize their dreams. It is important to do some research, however. Try Real Gap Experience at www.realgap.co.uk, Students Partnership Worldwide at www.spw.org or Greenforce at www.greenforce.org.
For students, how about trying for funding from sources other than your family? For those aged up to 26 contact The Peter Kirk Memorial Fund at www.kirkfund.org.uk. The organization awards travel scholarships for research projects in Europe. www.gapyear.com includes a list of possible avenues to obtain funding. Also have a look at the website www.gapwork.com. Deloitte at www.deloitte.co.uk selects students for paid placements.
The Department for Education and Skills website has information about student loans and other financial matters, including Gap Year information on www.dfes.gov.uk.
Talk to other people who have traveled. Search the internet and look for something that takes your fancy. There are literally hundreds of ideas for working breaks such as teaching English, learning languages, and volunteer opportunities out there waiting. For those who can afford to do it with some style the possibilities are endless. You could plan an itinerary that takes in many countries, and gives you time to totally immerse yourself in the different cultures and experiences.
How about going to Africa to work with HIV projects, or South America to do volunteer work with the native people, or work with wildlife doing conservation work. Or the Asian continent - teaching English to children or learning languages? Maybe you’d like to learn Mandarin in China? There are working ranches where you can experience the life of a cowboy/girl; or how about crewing opportunities on private yachts? Turn your favorite hobby into cash by teaching windsurfing or sailing. You could choose a winter destination and work in ski resorts. The possibilities are endless.
New Zealand and Australia are popular destinations for those wishing to see and experience the cultures of these amazing lands. There are many opportunities for volunteering or for working breaks after obtaining the necessary visas and documents. Check out the website www.immi.gov.au for Australia and www.immigration.govt.nz for New Zealand working visas.
If you opt for a Round the World airline ticket then you could find yourself in exotic locations such as Bangkok, Singapore, Sydney, Auckland, Fiji, Hawaii, Mexico, Los Angeles and New York, to name just a few. Perhaps your dream is to do a bungee jump on every continent, see the big game animals on safari, go scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, ski the Rockies, or just wander through foreign markets and take in the culture of the country and relax on idyllic beaches. Whatever your dreams are, try to fit them in along the way.
If your goal is to learn languages then consider language immersion programs and schools abroad, internships, learning holidays, teaching or summer camps. There are also opportunities to travel to foreign countries and live with host families where you can learn the language, culture, and customs.
Many of you will already be familiar with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a charity, which has a programme of activities for those aged 14 through 25. You may already have a Bronze or Silver Award, so why not try for Gold? You could get involved in helping in the community, learn a new skill or sport, go on an expedition or work as part of a team on a conservation project.
If your travels are on a tight budget, then there are plenty of backpacking hostels around the world that can help you realize your dreams. Many hostels have dorms as well as private rooms, so you can keep expenses to a minimum and meet up with other travelers. You may not be crazy about sharing a dorm with a bunch of strangers but hopefully putting up with the occasional snorer will be worth it for the new friends you will meet along the way. There are many websites devoted to the needs of the budget traveler, such as www.hostelsclub.com (based in New York) and www.samesun.com
