ANN Arbor GAP Year Fair. Wednesday, January 22 6:30 to 8:30 at Pioneer High School

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GAP YEAR FAIR COMES TO PIONEER HIGH SCHOOL
Wednesday, January 22, 2014, 6:00- 8:30PM!

Ann Arbor, Michigan and Worcester, Mass. 

How would you like to immerse yourself in the culture of Argentina, France, Ireland, Italy, or Spain? Maybe you want to spend a semester at sea while you work on different research and service projects for local governments? Or perhaps you want a unique internship experience in Africa, Asia, or South America?  These are just a few of the many incredible gap year experiences you could learn about when attending one of the upcoming USA Gap Year Fairs in Ann Arbor ON JANUARY 22nd.

Kathy Cheng, the Director of USA Gap Year Fairs believes that attending the Ann Arbor fair is an opportunity that should not be passed up. “Attending a gap year fair is a unique opportunity for students, families, and counselors alike to learn more about the benefits of taking a gap year. We bring in 30-40 programs from all over the world and connect them with students in helping find learning experiences outside of the traditional classroom.” says Cheng. 

John Boshoven, Ann Arbor Public School's Counseling Department Chair and Counselor at Community High School adds, "Taking time between high school and college can be life changer for students! It can sharpen their focus and better prepare them to hit college in a good stride with more defined goals. We're excited to again bring this opportunity to students and families in and around Ann Arbor."

An Ann Arbor mom and daughter from who attended last year's fair explain, "Attending the Gap Fair allowed us to gather important and specific information toward selecting the particular gap semester/year opportunity that worked. During her Fall Gap Year semester, our daughter gained confidence, became immersed in diverse cultural settings and just had fun!  She traveled with a small group of same age young women & men who explored urban and rural areas located in four Central American countries. Her group grew close, participated in a variety of educational, travel & service learning activities and gained important independent life skills. She will earn college credits for three classes plus came home fluent in Spanish, ready to begin her US college education."

USA Gap Year Fairs is a national circuit of events that bring together reputable Gap Year organizations, interested students and parents, high school college counselors and the Gap Year experts. These events are designed to provide students with a broad exposure of Gap Year Programs and the opportunity for face to face conversations with professionals in the field. For students and parents interested in exploring a Gap Year, these options are the best source to connect with reputable organizations that focus on Education, Service and Personal Growth.

The popularity of Gap Year is growing at an exponential rate in the United States, and it is publicly promoted at some of the most prestigious universities including Harvard, Princeton, Tufts and New York University. “Not every 18-year-old is ready for college, and students who participate in gap year programs obtain increased focus, maturity, and motivation which allows them to be more successful when they do decide to enter college,” Cheng added. 

“There’s the hope that this will be an opportunity for students to come to [college] with a new sense of maturity and mission... It will change the texture of campus life...” Sandra Bermann, Princeton University's Chair of the Literature Department.

Speaking at the Fair will be Holly Bull, president of the Center for Interim Programs. She one of the original Interim students. Holly was inspired to take a gap year before college. She followed up on interests in marine biology and Greece and split her year into volunteering at an aquaculture research institute in Hawaii and attending an academic cultural study program in Greece. She came away with a finer appreciation for learning for its own sake without the pressure of tests and grades, and the realization that she did not want to be a marine biologist. After two years of college, Holly took a second gap year to travel in India and Nepal, attend a semester program in Athens, and engage in service work in Appalachia. In 1994, Holly completed her Masters in Education at Harvard's Graduate School of Education and continued her counseling work at Interim, interspersed with site visits to programs in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Europe and Turkey. She has also attended 2-4 week programs: a wilderness survival skills school, a humpback whale research project, dude ranch work, and a yoga teacher training course. To date, Holly has placed over a thousand individuals in programs in the 20+ years that she has been counseling students (and adults) through the gap-year process. 

http://www.interimprograms.com/home.aspFor more information about USA Gap Year Fairs visit www.usagapyearfairs.org or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan Fair will be held at Ann Arbor's Pioneer High School on Wednesday, January 22, 2014, with the program beginning at 6:00PM and Fair running from 6:30-8:30 PM. Admission is free. 

For more information, see 
http://usagapyearfairs.org/events-schedule/ann-arbor-mi 

Contact John Boshoven at (734) 994-2027 or boshoven@aaps.k12.mi.us.