Interim's primary concern is the safety of our students. Since the onset of the pandemic, we have been monitoring the most informed news so that we can share the best information with our families.
The following resources provide reliable and timely sources of information:
The Center for Disease ControlThe United States Department of State
The World Health Organization for International Travel and Health
The National Association of International Educators
3 Scenarios in Response to COVID:
Families are understandably concerned about COVID and its effects on taking gap time and travel. Since the fall of 2020, we have witnessed most all of our students attending programs safely on site with peers and leaders both in the US as well as some locations abroad. Spring 2021 students engaged in group programs as well as more independent internship placements and volunteer work, also both domestically and internationally. These students were not yet vaccinated. In the gap year community at large, of the few students we heard about who tested positive for the virus, all had either mild or no symptoms and quarantined on site before rejoining programs. Now that most students are vaccinated, the chance of serious infection has been considerably reduced and more locations in the world have opened up. However, we continue to recommend considering the three response scenarios below in the face of the range of available options and any necessary last minute changes:
- Ideal Options: If students are eager to attend programs out of the US, they apply and see how things go in terms of travel restrictions - this worked well in 2020 with students able to step into programs in Ireland, the UK, Israel, Italy, Spain, Iceland, Croatia, and Costa Rica.
- Backup Domestic Options: Students also apply to US-based programs which can range from group gap year options, to shorter skill-based intensives, some internship options (tougher to find in the US for gap year students), and volunteer placements. We had many students in 2020 on group programs in Hawaii and the mainland US, as well as clearing trails in national parks, doing business and physical therapy internships, and attending Wilderness EMT certification courses.
- Backup Backup Options: Our ORL (Online Resource List) of over 85 links include courses of all kinds, internships, volunteer work, seminars and certifications, arts, fitness, etc. Most of our 2020 students did not have to utilize these options and few current students even need to consider the ORL options.
Stay healthy and well,
