Gap Year Program Leaders Unite!
The College Transition Seminars I present have two main points: (1) the years between 18-25 are formative, take them seriously; and (2) students (and parents) need to think more deeply about why they are going to college. At the conclusion of my seminars, I often encourage students to consider taking a gap year if they are unsure about what they want to do after high school. I’ve explained some of the theory behind this conviction in an article “God in the Gap Year” (PDF). I have probably received more feedback from that article than anything else I have written.
On Thursday and Friday of last week, I participated in a roundtable discussion with Christian gap year program leaders from across the country. About a year ago, Eric Smith (Summit Ministries), Dan Lambert (John Brown University), and I began dreaming about putting together such a gathering to encourage and network leaders of distinctively Christian gap year programs. The two days were exhilarating, to say the least.
I was greatly impressed by each leader and by the programs they are running. As I was learning about each program, I kept thinking: More and more students and parents need to know that these programs exist! And, hopefully, more and more programs will be started because of their inspiration. Here are the gap year programs that were represented at the roundtable discussion:
Summit Semester (Colorado)
Impact 360 (Georgia)
WalkAbout (Texas)
True North (Pennsylvania)
Kanakuk Link Year (Missouri)
Norristown Community House (Pennsylvania)
Centers for Christian Study International (Colorado, Oklahoma)
On my flight to participate in the roundtable, I read this quote from Stanford University professor William Damon, from his important book, The Path to Purpose: How Young People Find Their Calling in Life:
“In our interviews and surveys, only about one in five young people in the 12-22-year age range express a clear vision of where they want to go, what they want to accomplish in life, and why. The largest portion of those we interviewed—almost 60 percent—may have engaged in some potentially purposeful activities, or they may have developed some vague aspirations; but they do not have any real commitment to such activities or any realistic plans for pursuing their aspirations.”
Here’s why I’m excited about the potential of gap year programs: They can provide an opportunity for students to think more deeply and intentionally about their purpose, calling and life goals. Judging from the conversations I had last week, I know this is happening at the programs listed above!
I am in the process of creating a list of gap year programs to recommend to students and parents. Please contact me if you know of any programs that should be included.
Here’s a couple for you to add:
http://www.gofusion.ws/ (MO)
http://www.mwsb.org/ (MT)
[...] have been greatly impressed by the Christian Gap Year programs that I have been learning about recently. In the next few weeks I hope to highlight these programs [...]