Now, we’ve learned much and also realized that this will be a larger undertaking.  I cannot divulge any particulars at this time, it would be premature.  But, I can say that the App will help people better understand gap years and how they can successfully intergrate one into their lives. 

I realize this is a shorter post…more tidbits on gaps to come soon.

take care

Skip “snl reruns have replaced my social life” Burns

I’ll start posting soon enough.

until next post

skip “but by the grace of god go I” burns

First off, I should clearly state that Corey Minchow has no idea that I am blogging about him.  Feel free to let him know, but he really has no idea that this is coming.  He would, however, if he ever returned my calls.

Corey Minchow is a Gap Year success story, an American Hero, and a great older brother.  I know this because he was on my team in 2005 and I got to live, eat, work, play, and even sleep (in the same tent) with him.  He graduated from University of Nebraska- Lincoln (Go Huskers!) on time in 8 regular semesters and 2 summer semesters and took an entire year off to do AmeriCorps *National Civilian Community Corps.

So, if Corey ever calls me back I am going to schedule an interview with him and figure out how the heck he did it so that then YOU can figure out how a Gap Year can fit into your plans and life schedule. 

That will be a killer podcast let me tell you. 

until next post

Skip “in the face of adversity I will persevere” Burns

Well, Tim and I have been super busy planning and figuring out how GapSmart! could be the most effective tool for people to use.  And we came up with something…

which will remain a secret for the next few months

But, I can tell you about the project we’re working on right now: creating a MyFace application.

We’re relentlessly searching for the fastest and most efficient way to connect people to Gap Year Providers and we think that MyFace would be a great way to do that. 

Never heard of MyFace?  Well, to be honest* I am not really sure what it is or does, but Tim assures me it is the way of the future. 

so yeah we’ll be cranking that out and I can promise it will be fun, educational, and will in some way help others.

until next time

Skip “oh I meant FaceSpace” Burns

*that is in no way an honest statement.  Of course I know what MyFace is…I mean come on

GapSmart! has moved its blog to WordPress and we’re pretty excited.  The goals are to further educate people about gap years and to also let people know what GapSmart! is doing and up to. 

Understanding what we’re doing as a company is important because we keep getting questions and it’s probably going to save huge amounts of time for people to get their answers from one source. 

That’s all well and good but the main purpose and goal and reason for blogging is to help people learn more about gapping and how it can fit into their life and accelerate their plans.

Expect some weekly posts about what we’re up to and more weekly posts about exciting gap opportunities, trends in gapping, and success stories from others who have taken gap years and used that time to move forward.

I’ll be posting soon

Skip “just doing” Burns

And these are both perceptions. It is really not all that scary to move somewhere else for a year or so and do community service. Not any less scary than moving away to go to college. The process for applying to a Gap Program is oftentimes easier than applying for college admissions or at least are comparable.

So, it’s not that scary or difficult is it?

What’s the hurdle? What is the obstacle stopping people from Gapping?

Well, I retract and say that it is fear. It’s the fear that comes from doing something “new”. College is nothing new, people have been doing that since the Middle Ages. Getting a job after school? That’s what you’re supposed to do and something that everyone does. Taking a year for self discovery? Rarely does that get plugged in our society or culture. Yet I see a growing field of 20 something career counselors. Why not take a year, do something grand and adventurous, and avoid the “quarter life crisis”?

If I were a student thinking about taking a Gap Year I would ask my parents for all the reasons they want/wanted me to go to college. Then I would see if these parental aspirations could be met by taking a Gap Year.

If I was a parent of a high school student facing $160,000 in college tuition and fees I would probably want to make sure that my kid was ready for college. I would take a look at all my dreams for my kid and see if a Gap Year could help meet those dreams.

If I was a parent of a college student I would pray the economy got better quicker, but seeing how that is a fair way off I would help my kid get some sort of job experience for their resume.

What’s scary about going to college and/or the workforce more mature and experienced? Especially if that experience helps reduce college debt and career counselor fees?

skip “think enthusiastically about everything” burns

The “it” is the Gap Year and the question people are asking is valid. Why does it have to be a year? And the answer is that it does not have to be a year. I think a year is a great time frame, but it does not have to be 365 days. Despite the fact that this information is front on center on the page it is a question that is still asked frequently.

How do I define a Gap Year? I define it as a time that is deliberately set aside to explore the world, a career, and yourself. What motivates you? What are you passionate about? What do you want to do? What sort of impact do you want to make on the world? These are the questions that you ask yourself as you determine your education and/or career path.

These questions could be answered over a summer, 6 months, or maybe it takes two years.

The term itself “Gap Year” might be too limiting. It’s descriptive, but maybe it is limiting. The mindset should maybe be to call them Gap Years, but think about them as Possibilities. Because during a Gap Year you’re thinking about all the possibilities and avenues you could take.

My Gap Year was actually two ten month terms with AmeriCorps *NCCC. I did the second year term because I realized that I had not really asked myself those questions during the first term. If I had gone in with a more focused mindset, maybe I would not have done the second term. Who knows? I am really glad I took those two years to give to others and figure out what motivates me and eliminate different career paths from the myriad options that are out there.

The question is not so much how long you are going to Gap, but why you are doing it. If you have a purpose for Gapping and want to learn about the world and yourself then the time will be better spent.

that’s it that’s all

skip “The Harder They Come” burns

Attributes: motivated, driven, altruistic, ambitious

A Gapper also is a person who wants to learn about the world. They are curious about people and how they live interact and what they think. Gappers think outside of the box and want to empathize and understand people that live outside of their local area. A Gapper is not afraid of having a deep conversation to understand issues facing people across their country and world.

Attributes: empathic, great listener, strong communicator

Gappers succeed. A Gapper is not afraid to look at issues facing their community, country, or organization to understand the roots of those problems and then fix them.
Attributes: thinks outside of the box, creative, makes connections, problem solver

Gappers are adventurous and seek to push themselves. They take chances and calculated risks. A Gapper does not settle for the ordinary or boring. Additionally, Gappers don’t let other people stop them from achieving their goals.

And Gappers are fun, interesting, and mentally strong.

I am definitely going to have to think more on the specifics of the qualities or attributes of a Gapper. Going further I am going to think about how these qualities get a Gapper into college, grad school, and get them that job. I mean why wouldn’t an employer want a motivated person who is a great communicator and is fun and creative? I cannot think of a reason why an employer would not want that person above all others.

This all makes me curious.

Skip “topical nickname” Burns

What is included in the program? Food, lodging, travel, etc.

What sort of food is included? Will I need extra money for extra food?

What sort of lodging is included? This is important if the program asked you to live in a tent and you have a bad back.

What happens to my student loans? Does the organization put your loans in forbearance or help with this process?
Where is the program located?

How long does the program last? Are there any breaks or time off? What do people normally do with that time?

Can I go home to visit friends and family? How would I do that (nearby bus terminals, airports, etc.)?

What do people do after the program? Is that something you would like to do? If not you might want to reconsider

Who are some partnering organizations? If the group is associated with a group/group of people you don’t really like you might want to reconsider.

Also, you’ll need to find out about…
Insurance, what happens to your car while you’re away, what sort of job skills you’ll be learning, what sort of training and certifications they supply, if the guy:girl ratio sounds good, is there a religious affiliation, where do most people in the program come from, when the application is due and what sort of things do you need for that application.

Questions you should have asked yourself before asking the Provider:
What does this program do?
Why am I drawn to this program?
Does it support a cause I feel strongly about?
Why do I want to live and work in this place?
Check out the webpage very closely. Scrutinize very link and page. Does this organization look legit and like something you would want to do?
What is your goal of taking a Gap Year at all?

Whew, this is a lot right? I mean just writing this down made it sound like an audacious task. We are going to hone in and focus on these one by one so that you can be best prepared to take GapSmart!