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GAP SEMESTER

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CREATING SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL CHANGE

WHY TAKE A GAP SEMESTER?

There are many benefits to taking a gap period after graduating high school:

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  • Figure out your passion

    • Many students do not have a clear sense of a career path. Gap programs provide students with experiences that allow them to explore their interests and not spend money or waste time on college courses, only to later switch their major.

  • Avoid burnout

    • Many students are burnt out after high school. They need a mental break before diving into another four years of rigorous coursework. ​Gap years give students the opportunity to continue to grow. 

  • Become independent 

    • College allows a lot of freedom, sometimes too much, especially on big campuses. Gap programs allow students some time to learn more about themselves and the world around them and become self-confident by experiencing the world through small supervised groups. 

  • Gain career experience

    • Employers look for candidates with real world experience. Gap programs give students the opportunity to gain hands on experience that many of their peers will not.  â€‹

WHY LINKING LIVES?

Linking Lives and Franklin University Switzerland is able to provide recent high school grads with a unique gap semester experience:

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  • Europe AND Africa

    • Our program truly gives students the opportunity to see the world. You will live in Lugano, Switzerland and travel throughout Europe for 8 weeks and then live in local communities in Ethiopia, Rwanda, or Kenya for five weeks.  ​

  • Hands on Experience

    • Students spend the entire semester working on developing and implementing real projects ​for our partner organizations in Africa, gaining skills and experiences that are directly transferable to any career field. 

  • Family Feel

    • Students in our program become a family. The bond you make with your peers on the program and the program leaders is unique.​

  • Track Record

    • We have been leading study abroad ​experiences for over 20 years in Europe and over 10 years in Africa. We have had over 1,100 students to date in our programs.

  • Leadership and Social Change Certificate

    • You will receive a certificate for Leadership and Social Change from Franklin University Switzerland​, which is accredited in the USA and Switzerland. Students who complete the courses in Switzerland are eligible to transfer those credits to the college they attend upon returning back to the USA and get a head start on their education requirements. ​

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To learn more about the impact our programs have on our students, please visit our Impact Page.

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