Gap Year What choices do I have? Where can I get advice from? How can I fund my travels? What agencies can I work with? What precautions do I need to take?

What did I do?

What can you do? Independent Travel Teaching Abroad Working with Gap Year Agencies Developing Communities Working with Animals

Gap Year Agencies

Work with animals Work with animals Teach Abroad (TEFL) Teach Abroad (TEFL) Help Develop Communities Help Develop Communities Get involved on projects in LEDC’s Get involved on projects in LEDC’s Provide Care and Help Provide Care and Help Work on a summer camp Work on a summer camp Road Trip Road Trip Hiking/ biking tours Hiking/ biking tours Environmental Conservation Environmental Conservation Work experience (paid or unpaid) Work experience (paid or unpaid)

Working with Animals South Africa Big 5- £675 (2 Weeks) - £1635 (6 Weeks) Get a behind the scenes look at life on a South African Game Reserve · Volunteer with some amazing African Wildlife · Get up close to majestic Elephants · Be a conservation volunteer and help the land flourish · Free time at weekends to explore the local area Giant Panda Conservation £680 (2 Weeks) - £1147 (6 Weeks) Located within a beautiful mountain region of the Wolong Nature Reserve, 150 kilometres from Chengdu City, you’ll be working closely with the pandas! This is the largest Panda base in China, and the care you provide will genuinely help the Panda reserve to protect these animals from extinction. Turtle Rescue, Costa Rica- £720 (2 Weeks) - £1440 (6 Weeks) Releasing tiny baby turtles into the sea · Helping to construct a turtle hatchery · Collecting eggs you find on the beach, and taking them to the hatchery (“vivero”) for protection · Searching for marked turtles and collecting data · Live on the pacific coast of central America with it’s beautiful beaches

Environmental Conservation/ Developing Communities/ LEDC Projects Costa Rica Climate Change Project: £745 (1 week)- £3300 (20 weeks) -Exploring Costa Rica's remote habitats and helping to combat the effects of global warming. -On this project you will live in a wilderness camp set in dense tropical forest on the shores of the Pacific Ocean next to pristine turtle beaches. -Turtle Monitoring/ Tracking Big Cats/ Bird Surveys/ Forest Trails Trekking Madagascar Construction: £545 (1 week) - £3,100 (20 weeks) - Contribute towards village community project - Build better lives for local Madagascans - Daily manual construction work - Community educations & development - Improving schools infrastructure and facilities - Painting classrooms

Teach Abroad (TEFL) hour online course OR Combined weekend practical course with online course Usually costs between £100 for basic courses to £300 for advanced courses Reputable Companies will often help you find a job afterwards Can expect to earn between £300- £1000 in Asian and European Countries However many placements, particularly those in African countries look for volunteers. Expect to live with host families and other volunteers.

Independent Travel However there are a number of things you need to think about… No limits as to where you can go or things you can do! In Australia and Asia… -Skydiving -White water rafting -Scuba Diving on the Great Barrier Reef -Bungee Jumping -Found Amazing Beaches -Travelled in a Campervan -Met Kangaroos, a tiger cub & wild monkeys -Visited temples

Important Things to Think About... Flights- it’s best to book early Visas- some cost money, some are free. Some you can apply online and some you have interviews for. Insurance- ensure that you have insurance which covers all the activities you want to do and places you want to go to. Vaccinations- which ones do you need? Are they free? Check the NHS website. First Aid- would you know what to do in an Emergency? Do you know the local emergency number? Medical kit? Food and Water- is the tap water safe to drink? What about the local cuisine? Photocopies- photocopy all important documents e.g. visas/ passports/ travel documents And the big question… How are you going to fund your gap year?!

Cost of Independent Travel Australia- 2 Months TravellingCost Flights (return)£1400- £2000 Hostels (cheap dorm room £15 per night)£900 Transport (busses, trains, internal flights)£300 Food (cheaply cooking in hostels at £14 per day)£840 Trips & Activities (bungee jumps/ scuba diving/ island trips)£300- £1500 Alcohol/ going out (£50 per week)£450 TOTALS£4190- £5990 Asia- 2 Months Travelling around Malaysia, Thailand etc.Cost Flights (return)£400- £700 Hostels (cheap dorm room £3-10 per night)£180- £600 Transport (busses, trains, flights)£300 Food (cheaply cooking in hostels and street food £7 per day)£420 Trips & Activities (temples/ animal sanctuary)£200- £600 Alcohol/ going out (£30 per week)£270 TOTALS£1500- £2890 How can I afford to fund my travels? Fundraising for charity Business Sponsorship Working abroad

Working with Animals South Africa Big 5- £675 (2 Weeks) - £1635 (6 Weeks) Get a behind the scenes look at life on a South African Game Reserve · Volunteer with some amazing African Wildlife · Get up close to majestic Elephants · Be a conservation volunteer and help the land flourish · Free time at weekends to explore the local area Giant Panda Conservation £680 (2 Weeks) - £1147 (6 Weeks) Located within a beautiful mountain region of the Wolong Nature Reserve, 150 kilometres from Chengdu City, you’ll be working closely with the pandas! This is the largest Panda base in China, and the care you provide will genuinely help the Panda reserve to protect these animals from extinction. Turtle Rescue, Costa Rica- £720 (2 Weeks) - £1440 (6 Weeks) Releasing tiny baby turtles into the sea · Helping to construct a turtle hatchery · Collecting eggs you find on the beach, and taking them to the hatchery (“vivero”) for protection · Searching for marked turtles and collecting data · Live on the pacific coast of central America with it’s beautiful beaches

Structured Travel Independent Travel Planned itinerary, know what you will be doing Often with other people your own age Safer than travelling alone Good for first time or nervous travellers Can be quite expensive Less freedom about where you can go and what you can do Lots of freedom about what you can do & how long you can stay places etc. Make lots of friends from different backgrounds Can work as you go to earn money Good for people who are confident and don’t mind ‘going it alone’. Less safe and structured than going with a company Can end up more expensive than planned trips

Ski Season Chalet HostResort Rep Cleans the ChaletAirport Transfers Prepares 2 meals a daySales of activities/ lift passes Often lives in the accommodationOrganises activities and trips Working from 6am- 11am then 4pm- 10pmSorts problems Expected to be good at cooking and hostingHelps out with Ski School Works 7am-10am, then 5pm-10pm Transfer days can work 24 hours

Does a Gap Year have to be straight after 6 th form? Yes! I can’t wait to go travelling soon. I need a break before university. Lots of my friends are going next year. I know that I’m ready and mature enough to go now. I’m not sure if Uni is the right thing for me, I need more time to decide. No, I do not feel ready for such a big experience yet. I could go after college/ university when I’m older. I don’t have enough money saved up yet. I don’t know who to go with at the moment, I might meet people later if life to travel with. It might be easier to get a job abroad with more experience with work and more education.