Gap year ideas for 17 year old

[Anonymous]

My 17 year old finished high school early. It was a really disastrous situation for her socially. She'd like a gap year but ideally it would be in a program that has other teenagers so she can gain confidence in making friends again (it was a mean girl situation). Any advice on internship programs, study abroad, language immersion etc?
Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Maybe through EF? I think being under 18, maybe looking at high school program, which is probably ideal for language learning.

https://www.ef.edu/aya/

Or if outdoorsy, NOLS has long courses.

[Anonymous]

She could do a post-grad year at a boarding school in the US or abroad.

[Anonymous]

There was a thread on study aboard at the University of Salamanca in Spain

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/920448.page#18695763

[Anonymous]

Americorps starts volunteers at 17 through mid 20s. She can earn a small stipend and education funding.

[Anonymous]

Community college

[Anonymous]

Send her to Paris to train as a pastry chef. Le Cordon Bleu.

https://www.cordonbleu.edu/home/en

[Anonymous]

Look at the American Field Studies website for programs for high school graduates.

[Anonymous]

Rotary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread on study aboard at the University of Salamanca in Spain

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/920448.page#18695763

Interesting idea—in Spain obligatory school ends at 16 so there are plenty of 17 year olds working full time or in vocational training (if you want to go to college you attend two more years of college prep high school). I suppose she could enroll in university spanish classes for foreigners to prepare for the DELE exam (toefl for spain) and live in a residencia de estudiantes (dorm). (I am not a fan of homestays.) She could also possibly straight up enroll in an American uni abroad like St Louis U - Madrid. Doesn’t have to be language—a lot of foreigners go to Granada/Seville to study flamenco for a few months, for example.

[Anonymous]

Nacel also offers this. My DD17 did a program with them in Berlin this past summer and loved it. They were very organized and attentive throughout the process, and offer other countries like Italy, France, Spain etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread on study aboard at the University of Salamanca in Spain

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/920448.page#18695763

My brother did this back in the day (but as a college sophomore or junior) and said it was absolutely amazing.

[Anonymous]

My kid did a gap year program through CIEE - they have a lot of options. It was a great experience.
https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/high-school-study-abroad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a thread on study aboard at the University of Salamanca in Spain

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/920448.page#18695763

Interesting idea—in Spain obligatory school ends at 16 so there are plenty of 17 year olds working full time or in vocational training (if you want to go to college you attend two more years of college prep high school). I suppose she could enroll in university spanish classes for foreigners to prepare for the DELE exam (toefl for spain) and live in a residencia de estudiantes (dorm). (I am not a fan of homestays.) She could also possibly straight up enroll in an American uni abroad like St Louis U - Madrid. Doesn’t have to be language—a lot of foreigners go to Granada/Seville to study flamenco for a few months, for example.

For this poster or others, why not a fan of home stays? I’ve done it twice but I’m torn on it for my own kid. I think it’s a better cultural and language experience but with some safety risks and greater chance of difficulties. Curious on others’ thoughts.

[Anonymous]

Israel has some wonderful gap year programs.