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Your online college plans just got awesome!

iveypatton • Jun 10, 2020

Hello All!

I hope your summer is shaping up! Southwest Colorado is lovely, with sunny days, cool nights, lush green mountains and sparkling waters. I’m grateful for my little mountain community, but am also eager to travel the world again. I’m popping in to update you on some AMAZING opportunities for this fall!

If you are absolutely & completely bummed about the idea of college being offered online then you aren’t alone. Or you might be dreading a campus where everyone is in masks, are distanced and extracurriculars are cancelled. My son is a senior and is considering taking a year off if his campus is virtual or highly restricted. 

Gap year providers have been hard at work trying to pivot in these uncertain times and I am seeing some wonderful solutions!

If online college is in your future here is a GREAT PROGRAM from one of our partners. Read on….

“Think about it! As long as your classes are online, YOU CAN BE ANYWHERE! We have created something completely new- a remote campus located in the heart of adventure where students from ANY university taking their classes online can come together to learn and grow! So grab your friends or just make new ones and let’s all go to a lodge in Hawaii, a hostel in San Diego, a summer camp in North Carolina, or a resort in the Florida Keys, or any of our other incredible locations. We will make our own bubble of 12-30 students, head to the middle of somewhere amazing, and still have an epic semester of community and adventure while every student completes their own classes online. Think of it as taking your dorm room on the road, only better.

There are lodges, hostels, and summer camps that are sitting empty right now and we have booked them all to ourselves. Each location will have great WIFI, study halls and staff dedicated to helping you study and do your coursework during the day – and trips & adventures over the weekend! Kick off the semester with a week long adventure excursion to get to know your new “classmates” and spend the semester creating your ideal college experience. 

This is the college semester experience you never knew you wanted! Let’s use this crazy time as an opportunity to do something different. Take your normal university classes online during the day and hit the the waves or the woods after class. You can still have college classmates and spend the semester with a smaller group that is able to create a safe yet dynamic and tight knit community!”

The price is similar to a typical dorm and offers tutors, support, small study groups, exciting extracurriculars and weekend adventures.

If this sounds interesting please respond to this email and we can schedule a consult. 

Do I have other ideas for fall? Of course I do.

One of my favorite Gap Year providers has shifted their usual international program to an amazing domestic semester! Visit  KROKA  to learn about their Rio Grande Semester. My son says that the world should be required to attend Kroka…they are in the business of shaping great humans. It’s not fluffy. You will work hard for your reward. And you will emerge a different person. Stronger, tougher, better…with the confidence that comes from grit and perseverance. Starting in New England and making their way to the glorious canyons of the Rio Grande, this is a unique program that deserves your full attention, especially if you long for immersion in nature and deep community. And the time of your life!

What else? 


A Great Western Gap Semester… 
 

"Take a road trip to explore the gems of the west from the stunning peaks and plains of the Rockies in Wyoming and Montana, to the diverse rainforests and waters of the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii. Our Northwest Gap Semester program builds upon our 38 year history of running programs right here in the United States, and provides access to experiences and partnerships seldom accessed by the average traveler. Hiking through Grand Teton National Park and taking a quick plunge in a turquoise alpine lake, we explore some of the most pristine wilderness of the west. Partnering with local conservationists in Yellowstone National Park, we understand the current threats to native wolf and grizzly bear populations. Getting our hands dirty and learning some of the basics of construction, we help provide an essential home for a family in need. Sleeping under the stars on a sailboat cruising through the San Juan Islands, we learn about marine ecosystems and life on (and under) the water. Trekking through the pristine wilderness of the Big Island of Hawaii, we fall asleep to the sound of waves meeting the sand and soak up the towering peaks and valleys of this unique volcanic landscape. The newfound insights gained from this in-depth look at some of the most famous landmarks of the American West leave our perspectives and appreciation for our own backyard changed forever."

“Can I take a Gap Year and get college credit?”

I get this question once a week! 

The answer is yes. The Kroka program I mentioned above offers credit for its semester programs, as do many others by partnering with colleges for a win/win. If this is interesting to you, please reach out and we can take a deep dive into programs with sponsoring colleges. 

There is more to share, but this was supposed to be short….so I’ll sign off. I  will say that what I thought was going to be a non-existent gap year is turning into the biggest gap year ever and I am so proud of the youth who are saying  no  to compromise and  yes  to real learning, service, self exploration and a deeper experience. And to the providers who are ever committed to the fact that ‘not all classrooms have four walls!’

Forward ho, people!

Cheers to you all, 

Ivey @ Gap Year Base Camp

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