Highlights from the 2018 AEE + GYA Conference

“Few professional gatherings can match the GYA annual conference for camaraderie and functionality (and let’s be honest: fun). I am a better program provider each year by attending the conference, and am emboldened to do so by spending a few days with such motivated, motivating people.”  – Gap Year Program Director and 2018 conference attendee

This year, in collaboration with the AEE, represented a fantastic conference filled with community, professional development, new ideas, collaborations, and important questions for the future. We are already kicking things into gear with planning for next year, but for now, please fill out our 2019 PRE-Planning conference survey. Your feedback is vital! If you are interested in supporting and joining our organizing committee for the 2019 conference, please contact Dianna: Dianna@gapyearassociation.org

Highlights:

Three GYA speakers, and three AEE speakers, each shared their powerful personal stories at ActivatEE!  Thank you to GYA members Cecilia Polanco, Ben Welbourne, and Jake Lewis. We held our breaths, laughed, and cried as we listened to your incredible stories about coming of age, grappling with challenge, and creating a brighter future for others. Thank you!  We do plan on keeping this in upcoming conferences as each story was profound and impactful … videos are to follow!

 

GYA Awards: We honored many who have made their mark on the gap year community.

  • INNOVATION IN GAP YEAR PROGRAMMING –
    • Awarded to Verto Education for their work in creating a consortium of colleges to recruit gap year students, guaranteeing within the consortium credit transfers towards a diploma.  The innovation is in credit-mapping and college continuance.
  • KARL HAIGLER EXCELLENCE IN GAP YEAR RESEARCH –
    • Awarded to Linda Frey and Bob Clagett for their pioneering work to create the Gap Year Research Consortium, which is now giddily housed at Colorado College.  Through their efforts, more than 30 colleges (and growing!) are signing on to participate in gap year research.  Colorado College has agreed to a multi-year commitment, staff, and a small budget that we hope will open many doors for the gap year movement!
  • ADVANCING THE GAP YEAR MOVEMENT–
    • Awarded to Naropa University, for being the first college to run and operate their own gap year experience.  Many other colleges have run gap year offerings, but outsourced that programming to other providers.  Naropa represents an advancement in how colleges relate to gap years and gap year students.  It is unclear yet, but all indications are that this will be a 1+3 program rather than the typical 1+4 program.
  • ACCESSIBILITY IN GAP YEAR PROGRAMMING –
    • Awarded to the Travel Access Project for their incredible efforts to make gap years accessible to all students.  Awarding more than $50,000 in general needs-based aid to young adults embarking on their gap year.
  • CORNELIUS BULL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD –Awarded to Karl Haigler for his tireless advocacy of gap years, co-authorship of multiple books on gap years, incredible commitment to gap year research (including having the gap year research award named after him), fielding a child who took a gap year and is now leading experiential education initiatives in North Carolina, and of course his stewardship as a valued GYA board member for many years.

Thank you GYA presenters shared resources, knowledge and posed valuable questions.

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