what to do and where to visit

We’ll admit that this photo looks pretty dreamy… but there’s no escaping the fact that a gap year presents you with one of the very few opportunities in life where you can wake up everyday to live a unique experience, meet incredible people from different cultures and see some of the world’s finest views.

Choose wisely and wildly!

projects abroad

If you’re attracted to a project that involves travelling to a far away land, helping people or animals that live completely contrasting lives to you, and making new friends from all over the world, then you won’t have to look far for a list of organisations that can satisfy each of your criteria. As the number of gappers multiplies each year, so does the number of gap year companies all seeking to tempt you dreamy-eyed wild ones into projects such as conservation, teaching placements, activity holidays and work experience placements.

Conservation Projects: Conservation is a popular choice for many gappers, with projects available in some of the world’s most beautiful and yet most deprived countries. Learn to dive whilst restoring coral reefs, or help to protect elephants, monkeys, or turtles in their natural habitats. There are sooo many different types of placement. You may think you know exactly what’ll guarantee the year of your life, but wait until you’ve checked out our list!

Teaching Placements: Most teaching placements abroad involve teaching conversational English to schoolchildren. However, there are opportunities to teach other subjects, including drama and maths. Some organisations arrange accommodation with native families so that you have the chance to discover how other, usually less privileged, families live. Teaching placements not only allow you to visit other countries and meet other people, they also develop the skills and qualities that are missing on so many graduates’ CVs. Standing at the front of a modest classroom trying to communicate with a group of people whose language you can’t string a sentence together in, is a very challenging and exciting experience.

Activity Holidays: If sitting at a desk revising for exams just as the Spring sunshine appears doesn’t frustrate the adventurous explorer in you, nothing will! An activity holiday can involve building an orphanage, sailing round the world, trekking through Alaska or the jungles of Belize, or playing a guitar round the campfire at an American summer camp. Activity holidays will not only develop your team skills, you could also boost your CV by gaining a qualification. Many organisations now offer skiing or diving holidays with the option to train for a recognised instructor qualification at the end. With these qualifications and the opportunity to earn some cash, you’ll be guaranteed to return to the slopes or the deep blue in your winter/summer vacations.

Pick’n’mix: Tempted by all of the above? Some organisations design bespoke gap years for the more indecisive gapper. Choose to do a few different projects whilst travelling round the world, or work your way around the same country. See our list for contact details of gap year ‘consultants’.

projects in uk

You may have been itching to get as far away as possible from home and finally embrace the independence, but don’t eliminate the UK in your pursuit to help the world or to boost your CV. There are plenty of projects to get stuck in to here, and they will probably cost you a few less pennies than trekking to the other side of the world. Of course, you’re welcome to do both – you have got just over a year to indulge your adventurous self!

Ask your local charity if they need help with fundraising, office work or website editing. Most placements will be unpaid, although some will offer paid placements or provide meals and invaluable training. Check out the useful sites page for a very helpful list of organisations that would like to meet you now!

Activity organisations: If you’ve got energy to burn this could well be your dream gap year role! These types of placements involve singing round campfires, teaching new games, playing sports and occasionally dealing with homesickness (hopefully not yours!).

Local sports clubs: If you fancy yourself as the next Andy Murray or Ellen MacArthur, you might want to earn some early self-promotion by offering coaching or training to others. Contact local sports clubs to ask whether they would be willing to advertise your services.

travelling ad hoc

Open return to anywhereilike sound good? Book your ticket before you start A-level revision, blu-tac a large picture of the absolute-must-see destination on your wall and then worry about which will be the second absolute-must-see destination after you get the grades you need for uni! Check out our useful sites page for gap year sites that give you the lowdown on every country you might fancy visiting and how to plan your route.

work experience

If you’re lucky enough to have figured out your dream career already, then gaining some work experience in that sector could put you miles ahead of the competition when applying for vacation schemes or graduate schemes. If you’re still aching to fit some travel into your gap year, why not consider combining the two? This could be particularly rewarding if you want to develop or learn a new language. Our useful sites page lists companies with work experience schemes.