Why Choose The Gap NZ?

Our unique New Zealand gap year & educational program

The GAP NZ offers a uniquely safe and personal adventure education experience. Our programs have been carefully designed using our experience of delivering personal and team development programs based in experiential and outdoor education. Our program provides a careful blend of unique adventurous experiences, a safe group experience and learning personal and interpersonal skills for life along the way.

We are first and foremost an experiential learning company delivering personal development programs. Being a relatively small company, we offer a personal touch where you become a integral and valued member of your group. 

We take great care to make sure you are the right fit for our program and we are right for the gap experience you are seeking. Our small team of staff are always happy to answer questions via phone, email or Skype. 

"I am convinced that one's college education is greatly enhanced by the maturity,
experience, and perspective a student can bring (post gap year)" 
​          - Fred A. Hargadon, former Dean of Admissions at Princeton University

Who is the Program For?

The Gap NZ is for 18-24 year old's​ who are keen to:

• Explore both the North and South Islands of New Zealand
• Extend yourself in a fun, safe and supportive way
• Learn more about yourself and discover a sense of belonging
• Take a break from formal education 
• Build on personal and social development
• Learn both hard and soft skills
• Participate in service learning

​This experience is an essential stepping stone towards independent travel or a life changing experience before further education. The Gap NZ is a program that focuses on the development of the individuals and group and uses experiential activities to facilitate this process.
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The educational and self-development focus of this program means that activities are chosen for their outcome value more so than their immediate experience. During our program, you will learn skills and apply these in a meaningful way. You will learn both hard skills and soft skills. The hard skills are of a technical nature and will provide you with the ability to safely be a member of your group, independently planning and delivering activities for yourself but also for others. The soft skills are interpersonal and personal skills that you will develop, that will improve the way you contribute to a group with a common goal. You will develop skills around communication, empathy and dealing with conflict. 

Program Stages

Stage One – Open-mindedness, Observation and Learning

• Group forming
• Developing trust
• Looking at current and ideal visions and beliefs
• Learning about progression of dependence to independence to interdependence
• Learning new skills

This stage is focused on the individuals learning how to build foundations to create a successful group and learning all the skills necessary for the remainder of the program. These skills include camp craft, learning about food and nutrition for adventurous activities, environmental care, map reading and navigation and first aid/ survival skills. 

Stage Two – Discovery and Exploration

• Applying learnt skills
  
• Learning to be self-reliant
  
• Showing self-responsibility
  
• Showing independence
  
• Learning how to make future visions and beliefs a reality​

This stage is about the participants working as a team to use learnt skills while travelling around New Zealand. These skills will include showing individuals can be independent and showing capabilities.

Stage Three – Service Learning and Self-Direction

• Displaying learnt leadership skills/ qualities
  
• Leading others
  
• Planning and preparing a program for others
  
• Learning about and implementing risk management
  
• Experiencing global citizenship
  
• Showing interdependence​

At this stage, the group will be functioning as a well-oiled machine, working together to achieve goals. They will use all of their learnt skills and new found qualities to plan and prepare for a self-led journey. The group will also design and deliver a program to a group less fortunate than themselves. These experiences will help them to understand what global citizenship is and how they can use their skills to enrich the lives of others. 

Stage Four - Reflection

• Self-reflection
  
• Decision-making
  
• Personal and social responsibility​

This stage is all about reflecting on the experiences had and new values and beliefs adopted. Reflection on how the experiences may have changed each individual and how this may effect each person going forward including decisions about future direction. This stage is also about setting the participants up for how to be successful in keeping up this new and improved version of themselves when returning home.

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