I’m wondering if there are any structured gap year programs available for kids who want to take a year off? Something that is a little more than traveling and volunteering, and runs the whole year?
I’m thinking particularly about my son with ADHD who is brilliant academically, but a little slower to develop socially and emotionally. As far as classes, he might be ready to start residential college right after high school, but as far as being truly ready to handle life on his own he might need another year of life experience before college. We’re an expat family, so the normal “take a year off and travel” doesn’t work for is – he’s been traveling his entire life. Community college likewise isn’t a great option – we don’t have the support structure in the US, so it’s actually harder socially and logistically than just starting his undergrad. He can probably stay with us, but the likely options (this is a couple of years down the road) aren’t really in line with his interests. I’d love to have him do something like AmeriCorps or a similar volunteer program, especially if it was STEM focused. Does such a thing even exist?
Well . . . sure if you want to pay for it. Just google “gap programs” and there are plenty. I’m not sure that they are any good, however, especially for the $10K-$25K or whatever they’re charging. They seem mainly boutique programs for overly privileged children without much substance (the programs not the children).
Full disclosure: I’ve got a child in gap limbo and it’s been great–if sometimes really challenging. This child also wasn’t ready to start college right away. We knew this as early as sophomore year of high school. And we’re waiting for him/her to mature emotionally and otherwise be ready. Currently we’re in Year 2.5 and it’s the best decision we made. My child wanted none of the organized programs – after years of “organized” programs dictating his/her life (aka school, summer camps, etc) doing yet another organized program was numbing and not wanted. My child ended up sitting for several months in the house more or less decompressing from school; then s/he took off on a bus for a job s/he had set up independently from us and without our knowledge. That was a full year of supporting him/herself about 1500 miles away from home. S/he had saved just enough money for a bus ticket and it must have been a grueling trip. Believe me this was not comfortable as a parent while at the same time I recognized how healthy this move was. Child came back a year later with more money in pockets than left with – rode buses between destinations btw, while gone. Once home finding decent job took a few months. Currently works in position that requires a suit every day. Child is figuring out professional direction s/he wants to go in, besides. For example: romance with the food industry dried up quickly when working fast-food and other restaurant jobs. Understanding the importance of customer service and learning that skill set was gained out of necessity while keeping job 1500 miles away from home and depending fully on that job. And child gained many other skills that you can’t learn at school and only can learn when trying things out on your own. This child is also STEM focused in interest and moved away from interest in various animals from a science perspective–currently is thinking about becoming an accountant or data manager – as by working child is discovering skills that s/he has that others are grateful for and are willing to pay for, skills that s/he can do that make others go crazy if they were to do them. I’m all for the less directed gap time so that the child can begin to test his/her metal against the world; they are after all adults and not completely without safety nets as home awaits them with open arms.
That being said to answer your question more directly, yes there are gap things that you can do in addition to Americorps and in addition to the heinously expensive, flimsy-seeming boutique programs described above.
- Student Conservation Association -- might be perfect. I've noticed recently that SCA is partnering with Americorps more and more. SCA has several internships, long-term and short-term, most STEM related in some way. But they are very different from each other. They range from things like counting bats in New Mexico, to taking care of sled dogs in Alaska, to archival work in Massachusetts, or fish farming in Maine. https://www.thesca.org/serve/young-adult-programs Your child might want to try out their programs for teens under 18 while still in HS to see if he likes it. My gapping child did this and FYI though very stem oriented, and very enthusiastic about going on this journey, s/he decided after doing a remarkable outdoorsie internship to basically never go outside again!
- workaway -- is a website where you work long term or short at various places. You work for 4-5 hours a day and in exchange you get room and maybe a meal. Work ranges from helping with farms, child care, repainting a boat in Brooklyn or once I saw one asking for someone to act as the "ghost" in a "haunted" castle in Ireland.
- coolworks -- lists paying jobs often with housing where a person can work for the season.
- Volunteer.gov -- lists volunteer jobs in state and national parks, some of which have housing. The jobs are everything from campground hosts to tending the gift shop at a cave in South Dakota.
- Volunteer for job at park -- If you go to the national parks website you can find even more jobs/ volunteer positions. Acadia National Park is always looking for help for example -- and there's seasonal housing in the town of Bar Harbor -- look at the local ads to find that housing.
I see nothing wrong with the child also spending a year working in your hometown. There’s so much to do and to learn just by doing anything from dog walking to scooping ice cream to volunteering at the food bank. All is good.
- I've known a couple of young outdoorsie types who took gap time and hiked the Appalachian Trail. They teamed up -- two HS grads -- and started in Maine and walked south. http://www.appalachiantrail.org/ Parents periodically met them at meet-up points just to say hi mainly.
There’s a trail like this on the West Coast too – https://www.pcta.org/
Here’s the SCA programs for ages 18 and under - https://www.thesca.org/serve/youth-programs
Just reading for interest but like to add. My daughter did a 4 month study abroad in Indonesia. Decided to stay and take a gap semester… She traveled /back packed through South East Asia. Mostly young students from Europe taking their gap years. Everyone looked after each other and traveled together. Live in youth hostels etc very cheap. But it was there she discover Work Away https://www.workaway.info/
She did it in Vietnam. They picked her up from the airport. She had room /board (think shared house) food (she said food was great and everybody ate together). They also traveled with her if she wanted to help with language and to show her the sites. They couldn’t be more gracious. She taught English to both children and college kids looking to get into American colleges.
There are many of these programs in the United States and all over the world. Nice way to travel cheaply and gain experience with different cultures.
There are peace corps.
But she also applied to https://exchanges.state.gov/cls
You might be too late to apply but check. This is through the state department and there are many other programs like it. It’s competitive to get accepted but if you do, it’s 2 months of a language intensive for FREE. She lived in a village in Indonesia. Loved the experience. They fly the kids out to Washington, meet their ambassador then fly them to their destination. Plus they give them like $500 spending money which in Indonesia goes a long way. Many other languages also. If you Google I think there are others that are during the year and longer then 2 months.
I know your not looking for travel but just wanted to mentions these options.
So I did a quick Google search and came across this :https://www.theiet.org/career/career-support/early-career/your-gap-year/?utm_source=redirect&utm_medium=legacyredirects&utm_campaign=2019relaunch
https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/isc/courses/gap-year-programme/science-technology-engineering-mathematics-stem-themes
Maybe do a combination of programs and add working along the way.
Not sure but some companies might hire him for co-op type work experience. Look at indeed or Linkin. Maybe a small company if they know he’s going into stem. Cheap labor for them and great work experience for him.
We’ve been working abroad for the US Government for most of these kids childhoods, so to be honest the absolutely LAST thing my kids need is another opportunity to meet an Ambassador and hang out around the Embassy. (Although, of course, I’m thrilled to hear that it was such a great experience for your daughter and that you’re promoting it to other people!) I’m hoping to help him break out of that comfort zone since he has no interest in going into the ‘family business’ as it were, but little experience outside of our rather idiosyncratic bubble. It’s a big part of why I’m not in favor of backpacking around the world for his Gap Year either – he’s been a lot of places, and the big “undiscovered country” for them is actually the US, which is the only place they’ve currently got status to live without their parents.
The SCA sounds like an amazing opportunity – he’s very interested in ecology and biology so something like counting bats/turtles/fish might be a good experience to start with. Plus, it means living in the US with other American and international kids, so it would be a nice way to bridge that gap. I’ll share it with him. 
You have a very unique situation… To say the least. Yes, my daughter is a junior in college since she essentially took a gap year with being in SE Asia for 8/12 months last year. She is talking about applying for the Fulbright scholarship in the future and or some PhD programs to her interest.
I think your son actually talking to /lecturing on being away to high school students might give them some unique insight.
Good luck and interested in what you find.