The Gap NZ Story
How our NZ gap year & vacation program came about
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The Gap NZ has been formed as a subsidiary company to Adventure Works Ltd. Adventure Works has been developed as the result of the hard work of Mark Mandeno and his wife Erin. Mark bought the business in 2010 and has injected his passion for education, personal and social development in the outdoors into thousands of clients. Adventure Works has an awesome team of instructors and facilitators. We have taken the best personal and group development processes from our other successful programs and chosen the best activities and adventures that New Zealand has to offer, to deliver unique and special programs that we know you will love. We are super excited to be delivering these programs.
When you participate in one of our programs, you will be taking a big step towards a more confident, resilient and broader sense of who you are, finding a sense of belonging. It is hard to achieve personal learning by staying within your familiar life. The identity you have for yourself is heavily influenced by your past through relationships with your peers and family and also by the expectations that you and significant other people in your life have of you. Leaving this environment gives you a fresh perspective of yourself and grounds you and your own unique identity. In this sense you cross the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. |
Find out more about how your gap experience can help you re-energise, re-focus and find inspiration in your future
Meet the Team
MARK MANDENO
Director. Mark is head of Governance of The Gap NZ. Mark has extensive experience in the New Zealand outdoor education field and did his gap experience years ago including visiting Basecamp in Nepal.
Director. Mark is head of Governance of The Gap NZ. Mark has extensive experience in the New Zealand outdoor education field and did his gap experience years ago including visiting Basecamp in Nepal.
SOPHIE ARUNDEL
Program Manager. Sophie will be responsible for the logistics and keeping you safe while your out having an awesome time of our programs. Sophie had a gap between secondary school and college and that gap assisted in her learning more about who she was and what she wanted to study in that time ! She can't wait to welcome you to her side of the world!
Program Manager. Sophie will be responsible for the logistics and keeping you safe while your out having an awesome time of our programs. Sophie had a gap between secondary school and college and that gap assisted in her learning more about who she was and what she wanted to study in that time ! She can't wait to welcome you to her side of the world!
RACHEL HILL
Education & Operations Manager Rachel will be your liaison for all of your inquiries about The Gap NZ. Rachel had a 3yr gap experience in London and highly recommends the value of self-discovery and pushing your boundaries!!
Education & Operations Manager Rachel will be your liaison for all of your inquiries about The Gap NZ. Rachel had a 3yr gap experience in London and highly recommends the value of self-discovery and pushing your boundaries!!
Our Purpose and Method
To open the minds of individuals to new possibilities and opportunities
Our method at The Gap NZ is based on this simple model:
ENGAGE individuals and groups in meaningful and reflective experiences
INSPIRE a future full of new possibilities
SUCCEED in actively making the preferred future the reality
ENGAGE individuals and groups in meaningful and reflective experiences
INSPIRE a future full of new possibilities
SUCCEED in actively making the preferred future the reality
The way we do this is through adventure centred education. It is through the careful design of our programs that participants are supported to share experiences together, reflect on their experiences and ultimately gain a greater understanding of who they are.
The Gap NZ is carefully designed to immerse participants in a personal, social and cultural experience that will leave them with a greater understanding of themselves and inspires new possibilities for themselves and their future.
To allow participants to broaden their horizon of the world and see a new perspective of themselves and what they are capable of, the programs incorporate a combination of:
You don’t need to have prior experience in the outdoors to participate, just a willingness to have a go. Our background is in outdoor education and facilitating team development. We bring the best of what we do to make sure your experience is fun, safe and supported. The priority is on the growth of you as a person.
Adventure Education
Adventure centered experiences can include a wide variety of activities, due to the different ways in which people experience adventure. Adventure education is related to adventure programming, adventure therapy and outdoor education. It is an active process of learning rather than a passive process that requires active engagement from the learners as well as the instructors. Often adventure education is linked to incorporate all five senses within the experiences which can heighten the opportunities for learning and retaining information.
The learning experiences within adventure education programs are structured for a potential increase in:
The Gap NZ is carefully designed to immerse participants in a personal, social and cultural experience that will leave them with a greater understanding of themselves and inspires new possibilities for themselves and their future.
To allow participants to broaden their horizon of the world and see a new perspective of themselves and what they are capable of, the programs incorporate a combination of:
- Travel
- Learning adventure skills
- Cultural immersion
- Leadership development
- Social responsibility
- Service learning
You don’t need to have prior experience in the outdoors to participate, just a willingness to have a go. Our background is in outdoor education and facilitating team development. We bring the best of what we do to make sure your experience is fun, safe and supported. The priority is on the growth of you as a person.
Adventure Education
Adventure centered experiences can include a wide variety of activities, due to the different ways in which people experience adventure. Adventure education is related to adventure programming, adventure therapy and outdoor education. It is an active process of learning rather than a passive process that requires active engagement from the learners as well as the instructors. Often adventure education is linked to incorporate all five senses within the experiences which can heighten the opportunities for learning and retaining information.
The learning experiences within adventure education programs are structured for a potential increase in:
- Self awareness
- Personal and social effectiveness
- Human performance and capacity
Accreditation
The Gap NZ operates underneath the company Adventure Works Ltd which is an education business that meets the best safety and educational accreditation standards.
New Zealand Qualifications Authority
Adventure Works Ltd is a Private Training Establishment.
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers/details.do?providerId=803555001&site=1
Although The Gap NZ is not a registered program of study we still have to meet strict criteria that results in confidence and safety for students.
Outdoors Mark
In New Zealand, the adventure activity regulations require any operator providing adventurous activity to be registered and audited to meet a safety standard.
http://www.skillsactive.org.nz/default.aspx?page=5325
The Gap NZ Policies and Procedures
Click here to see our policies and procedures regarding our programs.
American Gap Association Accreditation
The Gap NZ is an American Gap Association member (full accreditation in progress).
New Zealand Qualifications Authority
Adventure Works Ltd is a Private Training Establishment.
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers/details.do?providerId=803555001&site=1
Although The Gap NZ is not a registered program of study we still have to meet strict criteria that results in confidence and safety for students.
Outdoors Mark
In New Zealand, the adventure activity regulations require any operator providing adventurous activity to be registered and audited to meet a safety standard.
http://www.skillsactive.org.nz/default.aspx?page=5325
The Gap NZ Policies and Procedures
Click here to see our policies and procedures regarding our programs.
American Gap Association Accreditation
The Gap NZ is an American Gap Association member (full accreditation in progress).