Gap Year Launch is the ultimate kick-off event with everything you need to launch into your year of purpose.
Make new friends locally and across Canada who are also on a gap year and connect on everything from entrepreneurship to travel.
Get ahead on your gap year goals (and access tools and support to get started!) with support from Canada's Gap Year Experts and Alum community.
Create a network of mentors and peers to learn from, while getting connected to sweet job, internship and scholarship opportunities.
Start your travel, work abroad, and/or volunteer plans with access to dozens of program booths to explore in our virtual expo.
JOIN US IN PERSON
OR VIRTUALLY
TORONTO
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
2pm - 7 pm EST
CSI Spadina
Join the Canada-wide virtual celebration!
Thursday, September 14th
8:30 PM - midnight EDT
CALGARY
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
2 PM - 7 PM MDT
Trolley 5 Brewpub
Join the Canada-wide virtual celebration!
Thursday, September 14th
6:30 - 10:00 PM MDT
VIRTUAL
Thursday, September 14, 2023
4 PM - 7:30 PM EST
Stay for the Canada-wide virtual celebration!
Thursday, September 14th
8:30 PM - midnight EDT
Schedule Highlights
Gap year planning
Get clear on what you want from your gap year. We'll put aside time during this 2-day event to let you research, plan and envision what a dream gap year could look like.
Keynote speakers
Get ready to hear from our keynote speaker, Sam Demma. This 2x TEDx speaker has wisdom and inspiration to share that you won't wanna miss.
Comedy
The best way to make a new pal is to laugh with them, right? Each Launch event across the country (and virtually) will have performances from local comedians. So, expect to be making new friends in no time.
Prizes, food, and cash. Need we say more?
Yes, Launch has a SWEET 2-day schedule with fun activities. And you're going to make new friends, for sure. But let's talk about the fun stuff!
⭐ In-person events are going to be riddled with fun snacks for you to graze on all day!
⭐We've got a $750 scholarship (like FREE MONEY) for a lucky Launch-goer to win
⭐Cool door prizes that could be yours. But only if you show up!
The Fun (Free) Stuff
So you're coming right? Who could say no to free pizza? Defintiely not us.
What our alum are saying about
Gap Year Launch
Pranav
{The event was} incredibly helpful! The sessions gave us a ton of useful information on many different topics such as voluntourism and solo travelling. It was also really nice to hear from last year's gappers who were in the same position as us a year ago. Overall it was a great kick start to my year and I would definitely recommend it to anyone taking a gap year!
Miranda
I really enjoyed this event! It was exactly what I needed to kick off my gap year and really feel inspired to start taking charge of my experiences. The speakers were phenomenal, especially Jigar, who's talk made me think a little more about the story we tell ourselves in our thought patterns and the Law of Attraction. The thing I have taken away from frosh week is that failing is one of the most important things I will do on my gap year, and somehow I'm beginning to see how exciting that is.
Matthew
This was a great event. It eases a lot of nerves about this choice and gave some good advice that will stick with me. I really enjoyed meeting others and being able to form my own little community of people to be friends with and to hold each other accountable. This was so important as all my other friends are off at university or other programs.
GET ON THE LIST
Got questions? We got answers!
Does it cost anything to attend?
Nope! Our generous sponsors have helped make this event possible so you can just ENJOY!
If I attend virtually, do I need to keep my camera on?
We love seeing those smiles, but we also get that being on camera all day can be exhausting. Click your camera on and off whenever you feel like.
Are the speakers and facilitators being paid?
Absolutely! One of our biggest values at CanGap is respecting people’s time, energy, skills and passions. All our speakers and facilitators are paid and all our events are KICK BUTT (again, thanks to our generous sponsors!).
Do I need to be on a gap year to attend?
Nah. If you’re simply looking for a community that understands freedom and self growth, fun and travel, you should definitely join us.
What am I really going to get out of this?
Not much, just...a new community, inspiration, planning support, health and wellness support, networking tools, enjoyment, free stuff...yeah, not much at all.
Is it going to be fun?
Obviously!
I’m taking a break from my PSE program. Is this event relevant to me?
Absolutely! If you’re taking a break because you’re burned out or confused about your next step, this event will help bring clarity, focus, and inspiration to your journey.
Will I be able to connect with other Gappers?
100%! We’ve curated TONS of time for networking and connecting with other Gappers and alums to share plans, experiences, and ask all the questions!
Do I need to attend live?
This year we have 4 options for ya! You can come in person in Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver or you can tune in to a Live Virtual event! On the 14th we will bring together all of the attendees to a final virtual event so all of Canada can be united!
How many people will be attending?
This year we’re expecting dozens of gappers live and over 200 meeting up virtually on the 14th! We hope you are one of them!