Gap Year Partner Organizations
The Canadian Gap Year Association is privileged to work with incredible organizations committed to supporting the gap year movement in Canada. These organizations have committed to working with Canadian Youth, providing quality programs and services and are working towards making gap years accessible to everyone who wants one.
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We thank them for their dedication and continue to work along side them to achieve our mission.
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Are you an organization that wants to become a partner with us? Let us know a bit more and we will be in touch!
Adanac Au Pair is a high standard au pair placement agency that matches young foreigners into Canadian families to provide flexible, dependable, and high-quality childcare. Adanac Au Pair is built on a foundation of Sarah’s passion and belief that au pairs provide the support and contributions that families need in order to find balance. This special live-in childcare solution places a focus on the children and provides a stable, safe and nurturing environment.
The Global Competencies Certificate is an innovative blended online educational program, with engaging videos and opportunities for global peer interaction, before during and after your international experience. It is a way to provide improved intercultural learning and cross-cultural adjustment training to increasingly diverse and internationally mobile students. As such, it reduces stereotypes and prejudice and stimulates intercultural dialogue in Canada or any country in the world with much needed skills in today’s world.
Athabasca University, Canada's Open University, is dedicated to the removal of barriers that restrict access to and success in university-level study and to increasing equality of educational opportunity for adult learners worldwide. We are excited to partner with the Canadian Gap Year Association to help promote purposeful gap years.
Since 1984, Class Afloat - West Island College International has been providing high school, gap year and 1st year university students with the opportunity to earn academic credits while sailing a majestic tall ship to 20+ ports on 4 continents. Take part in home stays and volunteer service projects, take the helm of a tall ship under full sail and explore new ports of call as part of our international student crew.
Discover Year is a purposeful gap year program that helps young adults build essential career and leadership skills. We emphasize the development of self-confidence, self-awareness, adaptability and interpersonal skills such as communication, emotional intelligence and collaboration. We integrate the following components to help students take action, foster open-mindedness and live according to their authentic selves:
- Work - Essential skills workshops
- Travel - Career and Life Coaching
- Community service - Mentorship
Discover Year is an approved Canadian post-secondary program (RESP and tuition tax-credit eligible) and students receive a certificate in Career and Leadership Development upon completion.
Kathleen Ross, founder and Principal of EduKate Consulting Inc., is an enthusiastic and passionate career development practitioner with decades of experience working with youth. A qualified Ontario School Counsellor and former high school Business, Economics and Career Education teacher, Kathleen is committed to giving youth and young adults the best possible career and education direction experience.
As post-secondary education and the workplace dramatically evolve in the 21st century, her focus is to reduce uncertainly and provide clear and confident education and career direction. Her straight-forward process gives clients peace of mind, knowing that they have made the best possible decision and ultimately saved time, money and stress.
At eLoft Careers, we utilize our in-depth job search expertise to support job market success for students, graduates, and professionals. By focusing on developing job search skills that work through eLearning online courses and individualized coaching services, we maximize job seeker success in today's competitive job market. We partner with Individual Job Seekers, Educators, and Organizations.
Katimavik is Canada's leading youth service organization, and the National Experience offers a life-changing opportunity for youth, ages 17-25, to explore Canada, make new friendships, gain valuable work experience, and contribute to positive change through volunteerism and active Indigenous reconciliation. For over 40 years, Katimavik has brought young adults together to learn, to exchange culture and language, and to help build stronger communities across Canada. Over 5 months, participant-volunteers live in a "Katimavik house" with 10 other youth in 2 host communities. Through the development of life skills, experiential learning, and civic engagement, they gain competencies to become engaged leaders.
Established in 1972 in the UK, and formerly called Gap Activity Projects, Lattitude Global Volunteering is a charity dedicated to youth development through structured, highly supportive, immersive, and intense intercultural experiences. Students can choose 3-12 month gap year experiences in over a dozen countries, or a combination of countries.
MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) inspires and enables everyone to lead active outdoor lifestyles. We do that by selling outdoor gear, clothing and services. We match our members with gear that suits their needs. But we offer more than products, we offer passion. We love to share our expertise, experience, and enthusiasm.
Our guiding principle is to encourage students to learn about the world and how to live in it. It isn’t enough to travel abroad, visit historical sites and museums, and expect meaningful connections to happen automatically. Our mission is to offer a global experience enriched by REAL education.
Operation Groundswell offers immersive, educational, learning service programs around the world. We connect the next generation of leaders with our local partners who are igniting change in their communities. We're building a community of travelers that are socially, environmentally and politically aware of the places they travel to and live in.
Pacific Discovery offers experiential gap year semester and summer programs abroad to some of the most amazing places on earth. Our programs are deliberate overland journeys, blending authentic immersion in diverse cultures, meaningful service-learning projects, rewarding adventures, wilderness exploration and personal development.
Expedition is a volunteering programme delivered by the youth driven development charity, Raleigh International​. Our Expedition engages volunteers in lasting change on community, environmental and adventure leadership projects. These programmes help tackle environmental issues, access to education for all, and alleviate poverty.
Change Starts on Expedition in Costa Rica, Nepal and Tanzania.
TechUnderTwenty is a youth-run organization delivering valuable opportunities to youth in the community. It strives to provide a holistic program starting from the discovery of interests to skill development and finally to the implementation of learned skills. By investing in youth TU20 is aiding the development and sustainability of the local community.
Stepabroad provides Canadian youth with opportunities to obtain personal and professional growth through working holidays and international internships.
Our team coordinates every aspect of the work and travel process for Canadians across the country. As a recognized organization of the Government of Canada's International Experience Program, we are proud to help Canadians embark on an enriching experience abroad.
Tour du Canada is a non-profit corporation that conducts the annual
cross-Canada bicycle tour from Vancouver to St. John’s. It is a
no-frills, shared experience first held in 1988. Cyclists come from all
regions of Canada and around the world. Bursaries are available for
those under 25 who qualify.
Dragons offers authentic cultural immersion through Summer Abroad, Gap Year, and College Study Abroad programs. Small student groups travel to remote communities with the best educators in the industry to ensure personalized mentorship and meaningful community engagement. Our goal is to help participants develop the cross-cultural competencies to be active participants in the world
https://www.wheretherebedragons.com/students/summer-abroad-gap-semester/
Join a small peer group for real, rugged, meaningful overseas travel. Immerse yourself in different cultures, learn about yourself, and a make a difference in the world! A leader for over 20 years in experiential education, YI offers exceptional gap semesters combining international travel, homestays, volunteer work, and outdoor expeditions.