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Carpe Diem Education
Hawai'i Semester | Carpe Diem Education Gap Year logo

Hawai'i Semester | Carpe Diem Education Gap Year

by: Carpe Diem Education

9 (9)Verified

Spend the semester on Maui and the Big Island, exploring our natural world via the island ecosystem. During this semester, you'll engage with a deeper side of Hawai'i—it's no beach vacation. As a land of elemental forces coming together to create one of the most extraordinary and beautiful ecosystems, Hawai'i hosts the most isolated population center on Earth, resulting in a distinct culture that ...

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Program Highlights

Delve into permaculture: Live and learn from experts on a regenerative farm alongside passionate conservationists.

Go on a mountain to sea adventure: Trek and camp in the wilderness, then grab your surfboard for a lesson among the waves.

Listen and learn: Engage with the history and tradition of Hawaiian culture as your new neighbors share their expertise in food systems, star navigation, and Hawaiian language.

Form your perspective: Together, we explore the effects of colonization, and the social, political, and environmental activism aimed at restoring Hawaiian sovereignty.

Dive into the Carpe Diem experience: Participate in a mindfulness retreat designed to deepen your knowledge of self, reflect on your journey, and integrate your experiences.

Quick Details

Locations
  • Maui, Hawaii (USA)
  • Hawaii, United States
Availability
Year(s) Offered2025Gap Year Timing:
  • Post High School
  • During College
  • During High School
Cost Per Week$2000-$5000
Age Requirement:Varies
Types & Subjects:
  • Adventure Travel
  • Experiential Learning
  • Self-Discovery
  • Volunteering
  • Wilderness
Guidelines:
  • American
  • All Nationalities
See all program details

Awards

GoAbroad Innovation Awards 2024 Finalist - Innovation in Alumni EngagementGoAbroad Innovation Awards 2024 Finalist -	Volunteer Abroad ProgramInnovative Study Abroad Program 2023 FinalistTop Rated Gap Year Provider 2022

Program Reviews

Hear what past participants have to say about the programs

Overall Rating

9

Total Reviews

9

So happy with my choice to go in this program

May 13, 2023by: Kayla Pitch - United StatesProgram: Hawai'i Semester | Carpe Diem Education Gap Year
7

I just came back from the hawai’i aloha spring semester 2023. Fricking amazing. I wanted a program that I would be able to camp, learn about the environment, learn some sustainable solutions for the planet, go to a cool place, and make friends. I did all of that and more. I grew so much on this program (emotionally). We had a rough start because of weather, however I felt the instructors did a great job with keeping us safe, happy, and having a good time. We got to work with so many contacts carrying in race, philosophy, goal, gender,…. I learned life lessons, made some of the best memories of my life, snorkeled in some of the clearest waters of my life (saw 2 sharks!), did an awesome hike, visited multiple national parks, and grew to absolutely love working with dirt even though I wasn’t a fan before. Even though I definitely had my struggles on the program, went through rough patches and struggled, I came through to be a new person with a new perspective on the world. Thank you carpe diem for helping me figure out a little bit of what I want to do and who I want to be! Recommend!!!!

A group of women smiling for a selfie

It was so fun!

May 12, 2023by: Izzy Weinberg - United StatesProgram: Hawai'i Semester | Carpe Diem Education Gap Year
7

I loved every second of Hawai'i! There was some living situations that were difficult, such as there was a lot of wind that ended up breaking people's tents and causing people to loose a ton of sleep. If you do send your kid in the spring, make sure they have a tent that can withstand wind and rain really well as the spring is the rainy and windy season.

Hawaii is another world

November 01, 2022by: Adi Arbell - IsraelProgram: Hawai'i Semester | Carpe Diem Education Gap Year
8

Though Hawaii is technically a state of America it should be recognized as its own country. I’m from the East Coast of the states and I can say confidentially that Hawaii is nothing of the normal. I got used to sleeping in a tent in just a few weeks and actually preferred to sleep in a tent rather than the hostel we were staying in. I got to speak with experts ranging from tsunami, archaeology, and marine biology about the impact me and my peers have on the future of our planet. My group including Overseas Educators was a total of 9 and at first it was a lot of pressure to get along with people but after just 6 weeks I can call everyone here my family and they all teach me things about myself I would have never realized if not coming on this trip. It’s been really hard being so far away from home but it’s going to be just as hard leaving my family in Hawaii. I would recommend this trip to everyone who is looking to get out of their comfort zone.

Goofy Foot surf school in MauiDaily double rainbows at Maui

Program Details

Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know

Locations

  • Maui, Hawaii (USA)
  • Hawaii, United States

Types and Subjects

  • Types
  • Adventure Travel
  • Experiential Learning
  • Self-Discovery

Availability

Years Offered: 2025

Gap Year Timing:
  • Post High School
  • During College
  • During High School

Age Requirement

Age Requirement Varies

Guidelines

  • American
  • All Nationalities
  • This Program is also open to Solo, Group

Cost per week

$2000-$5000

Program Cost Includes

  • Tuition & Fees
  • Accommodation / Housing for Program Duration
  • All Program Activity Costs
  • Weekday Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Accommodation Options

  • Group living
  • Guest House
  • Home-stays
  • Other

Qualifications & Experience

    Language Skills Required

  • English

    Accepted Education Levels

  • Some high school, no diploma
  • High school graduate, diploma or the equivalent (for example: GED)

Application Procedures

  • Phone/Video Interview
  • Online Application
  • Physical Exam/Health Records

Frequently Asked Questions

Carpe Diem Education

Carpe Diem Education

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Ready to Learn More?

Spend the semester on Maui and the Big Island, exploring our natural world via the island ecosystem. During this semester, you'll engage with a deeper side of Hawai'i—it's no beach vacation. As a land of elemental forces coming together to create one of the most extraordinary and beautiful ecosystems, Hawai'i hosts the most isolated population center on Earth, resulting in a distinct culture that remains vital and alive today. For those who love the natural world, come and be humbled by the ocean's grandeur, the whales' migrations, the vibrance of the land, and the magic of the Aloha. Those who wish to have greater insight into Hawaiian culture, the complexities of U.S. colonization, and the ongoing dialogue about Hawaiian sovereignty, land rights, and social justice should come and learn...

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