Gap Year Programs in Canada

During my gap year, I had the incredible opportunity to work abroad in the Canadian mountains. Surrounded by amazing landscapes I gained hands-on experience in a dynamic environment. Whether assisting guests at a ski resort or living in the mountains, I developed valuable skills in teamwork, adaptability, and communication. The process for applying for an internship was made really easy as I was offered all the help I needed. This experience helped me grow personally but also professionally and I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about doing an internship abroad.

I have recently come back from my gap year and while I was there I spent a month working on the relationships between humans and elephants. So why would I recommend Oyster? I am so glad I picked to do this project with Oyster because they made me feel very well taken care of and looked after me before and during the project. They talk you though everything you need to know before the project takes place and what clothes and necessities you may need to pack. So what does the project consist of? I would do this project a million times if I could, and if you don’t believe me lots of people who were doing the project had already done it before and had come back because of how much they enjoyed it. So the project is on a two week program and you have the option to stay from two weeks to 3 months. The first week is amazing because you build walls for the local community. Some days some of the locals will come and help, or a few kids will come and keep you company, that is amazing because you feel so immersed, it’s definitely a once in a lifetime experience. The second week is spent tracking elephants. This was my favourite out of the two because you learn all about the elephants foot prints. We also managed to see a two day old elephant which we were lucky enough to name !!! So why pick this project? I think this project and Oyster have a lot of selling points. For starters Oyster takes very good care of you and help you organise yourself before the project starts so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. Secondly you are in the middle of the desert, I don’t think you could get anymore rural than that. You don’t really have much service so it’s lovely to disconnect for two weeks. You get to spend some time with lovely people who you may not meet on a day to day basis, people from different countries, locals, and different ages. You camp under the stars which is also amazing. Overall I would always recommend this amazing project, such a special experience!!

Oyster Worldwide responded to this reviewAugust 13, 2024

Wonderful to read about your experience, thank you Emily! The Oyster Team

The Slopes at Castle Mountain Resort in Alberta are of great quality! You won't get bored here, regardless of your skiing/board skills. The powder in the 2022/2023 season was off the charts ? Having skilled instructors help you though getting your level 1 & 2 was so helpful and having a helping hand when you first arrive in Canada was amazing and so easy! 100% recommend this program ?

EA Ski and Snowboard Training responded to this reviewJanuary 11, 2024

Kayleigh, we’re so glad to have supported you on the journey to becoming an instructor at Castle Mountain Resort. It’s our mission to make this process smooth and provide high quality training. It’s fantastic to know that our team made a positive impact on your development and that you had a lot of fun. Thank you for recommending our program! -The EA Team.

The last few weeks I have been travelling around South East Asia with Oyster Worldwide, completing my Gold The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

 This has been a truly once in a lifetime experience, meeting many new people from all around the world and learning about the Asian culture and lifestyle.

 From volunteering at an ethical elephant sanctuary in Chaing Mai, Thailand to partying on a yacht in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, I enjoyed every second of it. 

 Oyster Worldwide have been super professional and helpful throughout the whole experience and made a complex and daunting trip, a breeze in the park!

Oyster Worldwide responded to this reviewJuly 20, 2023

Sounds like you made the most of your time Bailey and had a wonderful tour - thanks for sharing!

An incredible and immersive experience where I gained such valuable whitewater paddling and reading knowledge while sleeping every night in a cozy tent and cooking on a fire. Oh and you get to see such a beautiful part of northern Ontario while also earning many guiding certificates.

I’d always wanted to do a ski season but had never considered becoming an instructor as I didn’t think I was good enough. As soon as I heard you could get all the training you needed and a guaranteed job I was in! The whole process with EA was awesome, from speaking with their training consultants on the phone to finally arriving in Canada meeting the program reps and all the other interns. Almost instantly I had a massive group of new mates and over the course of the season we became a weirdly dysfunctional family! The training we received was incredible, i’d always thought I was a decent enough skier but the improvements we all made in just 3/4 weeks at the start (and over the course of the season) was insane! Would happily do this all again if I could!

I had a really great time as a volunteer teaching assistant at a school in Coyhaique, Chile. I was teaching a huge range of ages (4-17) and it was great to be able to interact with classes at various stages of their English development. The teachers I was supporting were amazing and very eager for the help, particularly with the younger years and keeping their interest. I absolutely loved my time living with my host family as they were so welcoming. Being able to speak a little Spanish already definitely helped my integration but they were also incredibly helpful in helping me improve and understanding of my many mistakes! Coyhaique in itself is a smallish town with not too much to offer however there are two national parks surrounding it with some good hikes. It is easy to travel out of Coyhaique by bus (just book in advance) either going north or south and getting to Balmaceda airport is also simple should you wish to go further afield. Having people on the ground in Coyhaique was encouraging as you knew you had support should you need it but we didn't interact much. The Spanish lessons were fine but I feel they would be more helpful to someone of a lower level, as for me, I just needed to practice speaking so the best thing was just being with my host family! Overall a good experience and I'm so glad I did it.

Oyster Worldwide responded to this reviewAugust 09, 2019

Thank you so much for leaving a review!

I had just finished my A Levels and wasn’t sure whether uni was an option for me - so a gap year was on the cards. My friend and I had a passion for animals so decided to go on a trip to see some of the worlds most magnificent. After lots of research, Oysters promise of responsible travel and support was what made us sure they were the best company to go with. I went to South Africa for 4 weeks to volunteer as a wildlife conservationist with the Big 5. I cannot even begin to describe how much I loved the programme. I got to see and experience a culture and lifestyle I never thought possible, made life long friends all over the world and have memories to last a life time. Oyster provided non-stop support as soon as I applied until the very moment I returned home. It would take me a whole book to write all the amazing things I saw and experienced and why Oyster Worldwide was the best choice - cliché as it sounds, taking a gap year with Oyster was the best decision I have ever made and I cannot wait to get on a plane to another one of their awesome projects.

Oyster Worldwide responded to this reviewFebruary 04, 2019

Many thanks for taking the time to review us! <br/><br/>Oyster Team

Though I've had a great time in Japan meeting great people and getting the opportunity to ski amazing powder I don't feel as if I got what I paid for. Though I have thoroughly enjoyed ski instructing in the few months I've been here I was less to believe I'd have work and accommodation November through April. In reality though mine and the majority of the EA staffs contracts have not been extended due to lack of work available. I now can not afford to stay in japan until the date of my flight I was told to book in mid April and can not afford to stay on the meal plan not ski. Great few months but now feel as if I've been left out to dry march through April.

A piece of advice, if like me you were looking into this program but not sure if you are gonna do it, just take the plunge and do it, you won't regret it! Cypress is a beautiful mountain with a huge variety of terrain and mountain views on one side, and ocean views on the other, truly no other resort is quite like it, as for EA, these guys are with you from start to finish, making sure you have visas, accommodation, orientations all set up on arrival, they give you everything you need and are willing to help out as much as they can I cannot recommend this program highly enough, it's incredible and if you can, you should do it