Editor’s note: This article is part of our Meaningful Travel Forecast series and official travel report for 2019. ☆ Taking a gap year after high school is the perfect ticket to help you get prepared for college life. Those final months of exams and coursework leading to your high school graduation can feel like summiting Everest, and there’s a lot riding on the decisions you make about the next steps. Rather than diving into the deep end of college or adult life, take a break to let your mind really recover and find yourself on one of the many available gap year programs for high school graduates.
Read the GoAbroad Official Report on the 10 Best Gap Year Destinations in 2019
Whether you choose to volunteer abroad, hit up a language school or embrace an adventure in the African bush, you’ll bring much more home from your gap year overseas than just a camera with a full memory card. Independence, life skills, confidence and cultural awareness are a few of the benefits that gap years bring to you and future resume or college application. The GoAbroad Meaningful Travel Forecast for 2019 brings together our community of meaningful travelers, program administrators, and international education experts to predict the top picks for the upcoming year. If you’re struggling to decide how to use your gap year, check out the top ten gap year opportunities for high school graduates in 2019 below.
The best gap year opportunities for high school graduates in 2019
1. Volunteering
Consider giving something back to those less fortunate than yourself on a volunteer abroad program. The ideal match for those considering gap year opportunities for high school graduates, these opportunities don’t only benefit the communities and causes championed, but also provide a supported and structured travel experience, through which participants utilize and develop their own skills. Better yet, volunteer opportunities can be easily linked to career aspirations and preferred college majors to really maximize the learning potential. Throw into the mix a sociable atmosphere amidst a group of likeminded people, and some seriously authentic cultural immersion, and you might have one of the best options for gap year programs after high school.
Cathryn Fortuna, GoAbroad Editor, is confident gap year volunteering will continue to rise. “Working holiday, volunteering, and internships are all clear-cut purposes for a gap year that can be easily talked up on a resume.”
- Traveler’s program pick: Bahamas Marine Conservation with Gapforce
A working holiday comes with a standout advantage—the salary. If funding your gap year is a concern, this could be the answer to your dreams. Gain hands on work experience in a foreign land, surrounded by amazing sights, experiences and culture, whilst getting paid to do so. It sounds almost too good to be true, but of course you’ll have to dedicate time to the role, and may be expected to work hard for a relatively small wage, but you’ll still get days off to spend adventuring in your destination of choice, so there’s little to complain about.
The practical experience gained from any work environment can also serve as a key advantage when applying to future positions and colleges, as it shows adaptability and strong work ethic. A working holiday is also a great way to experience ‘real’ life in a new country, living just as the locals live!
- GoAbroad’s program pick: EA Ski & Snowboarding
3. Internships
An internship is a great way try out the career you aspire towards, establishing whether you can truly commit to the role longer term, and gaining an understanding of the areas in which you need to gain more experience along the way. Whatever your next steps, an internship will equip you with a range of transferable skills and practical experience, acting as a step towards a full-time role, or making a college application stand out from the crowd.
Beginning to bank a range of relevant opportunities now will also act as a long-term advantage when you’re able to showcase your impressive portfolio of connections to prospective employers later on. Not to mention that mingling with your local co-workers when the office closes for the day will give you a real insight into life in your chosen country as well.
- GoAbroad’s program pick: Asia Internship Program
- Traveler’s program pick: Intern Abroad HQ around the world
I expect to see continued growth in programs that provide practical hands on experience abroad. Internship programs will undoubtedly gain momentum.—Nicole Berry, Linguistic Horizons
If graduation has you feeling ready to mix things up, an adventure travel program will throw you so far out of your comfort zone that the classroom will be merely a distant memory. Whether it’s scuba diving with manta rays in Indonesia, trekking through the jungles of Borneo or learning to dance in Bollywood that inspires you, the only real limit is your own imagination.
“Individuals who aren’t ready to go into college would be wise to see the world before committing to a degree program,” says Rachael Van der Werff, GoAbroad rockstar.
Trying new things and challenging ourselves to go further than we have before helps us to grow and learn, so let the earth inspire you as you put your own capabilities to the test, proving anything is possible, just in time to check into college or adulthood when you return home. So what will it be? Safari, skydive, scuba or snorkel?
- Traveler’s program pick: Nepal Semester with Where There Be Dragons
5. Art
Let the world be your muse as you combine your passion for exploring with your creative flair—the dream of any wanderlusting artist. Surrounded by the inspiration of your destination’s culture, traditions, landscapes and architecture, you’ll be putting yourself in the ideal mindset for your imagination to blossom. An arts program will equip you with the skills and guidance to enjoy the true benefit of those influences and encourage you to develop your artistic talents, whilst also enjoying the thrill of the adventure.
Art gap year programs after high school are the ideal change of scenery, and the perfect way to reallocate your brain capacity as you unwind and focus on a priority close to your heart without the pressure of impending exams.
- GoAbroad’s program pick: Artist Immersion Program
6. Animals
Wildlife is a key feature in some of the most bucket-list worthy travel experiences. Whether it’s safari’ing through the African bush that you dream of, or exploring below the surface of our mystical underwater world, an animal experience is a great option for those taking a gap year after high school. It’s not just sightseeing though, conservation programs allow participants both to fulfill their desires of getting up close and personal with the earth’s most majestic creatures, and make a meaningful contribution to their existence.
The most interesting wildlife tends to accumulate in some of the best travel destinations, so you can pick up some worthy passport stamps whilst taking your travels on the wild side of the tracks. Don’t forget to pack your camera because there’s going to be plenty you want to boast about once you return.
- GoAbroad’s program pick: GVI
- Traveler’s program pick: Oyster WorldWide Elephant Conservation
Combining personal development with travel doesn’t get better than an experiential learning program overseas. A top pick when it comes to gap year opportunities for high school students, these experiences couple professional workplace experience with a structured learning framework, laying all the foundations necessary for success. Of course, you also get to undertake all of the activities in an exotic location of your choice, and reap the benefits of weekends and evening exploring your temporary home like a local. Immerse yourself in culture, gain a heap of skills and experience to bolster your resume and college application, and have the adventure of a lifetime—what more do you want from gap year programs after high school?
- GoAbroad’s program pick: Winterline Global Education
- Traveler’s program pick: ImpacTrip - Fight Food Waste in Portugal
8. Au Pair
There is so much more to au pairing than just childcare. Living with a local family in a new location allows you to really connect with local life and immerse yourself in the native language and culture. It also supplies you with a strong support network as you adapt to life overseas. The job description might be less clean cut than others, but most positions come with some flexibility, such as free time during school hours, which can be honed to explore your new town.
Au pair gap year programs for high school students can also be less of a culture shock by comparison to some other programs, as the family setting that you move into will afford you some home-from-home comforts. There’s also a living allowance, accommodation, and food provision, making it a super affordable way to see the world.
- Traveler’s program pick: LoPair AuPair in China
As more and more recent high school grads choose to take a gap year, they are searching for experiences that will help them decide what they want to do with their future. They also want a trip that will enhance their resume and make it clear they were not on an extended vacation.—Nicole Powers, GoAbroad CCO
GoAbroad Founder Troy Peden predicts heritage travel to be huge in 2019. Join the throngs of individuals keen to learn their family story as you explore the world—and the culture of YOUR people.
Turn the volume down on the background noise of the world and really begin to understand yourself through a self discovery gap year program. By participating in a range of facilitated learning experiences, from workshops to practical activities, you’ll be guided towards finding answers to the most burning questions you have about yourself. Developing a better understanding of who you are, what drives you and makes you tick, will allow you to become better prepared than ever before for the next chapter of adult life.
The timing for such a fulfilling travel opportunity couldn’t be better than the pivotal break between high school and the future. This journey is so much more than an overseas trip, it’s a way to find a personal center and direction, whilst surrounding oneself with the color and magic of a foreign land.
- GoAbroad’s program pick: Sol Abroad
- Traveler’s program pick: Winterline Global Education
10. Drama & Music
Choosing from the selection of drama focussed gap year programs for high school graduates should be absolutely no drama, with so many great picks to select from. Programs include professional mentoring, intensive training opportunities, and a focussed environment in which to complete it all—maximizing your chances of reaching the stars with the skills you’ll acquire. Undertaking the program overseas isn’t just a travel-related benefit, but can also allow you to tune out of all the distractions of home, and be inspired by a completely new circle of friends, not to mention the creativity inspired by a change in culture and environment! Channel your inner superstar as you hit the road to focus on enhancing your theatrical talents in a tailored environment.
- GoAbroad’s program pick: Evolve Abroad
- Traveler’s program pick: West End Musical Theatre Training in London
Next steps to book gap year programs after high school
Here are handful of resources to get you started on your very own gap year journey. 2019 could be YOUR year to travel—and we can help make it happen! Get free program recommendations that match your travel goals, or use MyGoAbroad to bookmark and compare program options with confidence.
Still hungry for more? Bookmark these bad boys:
Gap Year Inspiration
Program Selection Advice
- 5 Best Gap Year Programs in 2019
- How to Choose Between Gap Year Programs
- Short & Sweet Gap Year Summer Programs
Paying for Your Gap Year
[Get Matched with 5 Gap Year Programs for FREE]
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You’re one step closer to the gap year of your dreams.
Taking a gap year after high school has never been easier with so many great opportunities to choose from. It’s the perfect time to unwind after the hard work that got you through to graduation, and an opportunity to recentre your mind ahead of the next chapter to come. Whether you plan to continue to a college degree or find your place in the workforce when you return, you can pick up a great deal of tailored skills, experience and learning opportunities by choosing the right program to match your plans, so do your research and make the most of the opportunity.
It’s not just about the practical skills though, travel stretches you both mentally and physically, offering opportunities for personal growth that you simply won’t find at home. Gaining more independence, and learning to truly take care of yourself is a skill that will benefit you endlessly when you choose to settle down and create a home for yourself. Not to mention the countless souvenirs, and memory full of stories you’ll be bursting to share with friends and family for months after you get back.
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