This article is adapted from Davidson Institute’s “Considering Your Options: A Guidebook for Investigating Gap Year Opportunities”, part of our collection of free guidebooks for gifted and 2e families. For a deeper dive into supporting your gifted or twice-exceptional child, we encourage you to explore the full guide.
If you are considering a gap year or have come to the conclusion that a gap year is for you, it is time to think “big picture” and discuss your safety. Whether you are traveling to another country, pursuing an academic competition, or working on a specific project, your safety and well-being is the most important part of this journey.
Are You Ready For Your Child to Take a Gap Year?
In section two, we presented the student’s perspective about some of the pros and cons of a gap year, but what about the parent’s perspective? Parents often wonder if their child will return to a traditional educational setting after a gap year. Questioning whether your child will return to academics after “time off” is very common. To help settle some of your worries, do your research and help your child plan for this journey. Do you feel that your child is ready for self-discovery and reflection? Is your child a mature and competent problem solver? To help you determine whether or not your child is ready to embark on a gap year, please visit:
- Should your child have a ‘gap year’ before college?
- Parents’ Concerns About Their Children Taking a Gap Year
- College Essay Guy Guide to a Gap Year
- Challenges in the Transition to College
- Life After High School
- Why Your High School Senior Should Take a Gap Year
No matter what the situation may be, parents are going to have concerns about their child’s safety and whether a gap year is the best fit. The Gap- Year Advantage Helping Your Child Benefit from Time Off Before or During College suggests having “What-if scenarios before deciding where to go and again before departing” (Haigler, & Nelson, 2005, p. 99). When planning for your child’s safety during their gap year, questions you may want to consider are:
- How to handle safety concerns while your child is away on their gap year
- Health care in other settings
- Political conflict in the country where your child is staying
- Terrorism emergencies in the country where your child is staying
Once your family has decided to pursue a gap year, The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) has a great section for parents that discusses health and safety concerns, as well as how to prepare your child to study abroad. To read more on this topic, please visit CIEE.org.
Safety Concerns
We strongly encourage all individuals who pursue a gap year to research all possible health and safety issues. It is essential that parents, as well as students, be aware of the potential dangers that may occur while taking a gap year. Generally speaking, taking a gap year is not a reasonably dangerous activity, but students may be in an environment where they do not speak the language, become ill, or they may be volunteering in areas with higher crime rates, or experimenting with new laboratory equipment that may be dangerous. Whatever the case, every organization is unique, and they may have their own policies with regard to students’ safety. Before you commit to a gap year opportunity, it is best to do your research with respect to health and safety considerations.
While taking a gap year can be a wonderful and rewarding experience, it is always important to be aware of your surroundings. When working with your child on planning his or her gap year, make sure to establish regular check-in times and research whether the organization you may be working with has specific safety policies. According to Holly Bull, the Director of the Center for Interim Programs, working with a gap year counselor is especially helpful. She states that, “For parents in particular, this is a prime concern: Will my child be safe on this program or in this location? Gap-year counselors research programs through on-site visits, meetings with the people who direct programs, and provide feedback from alumni who have recently attended the program a student is considering. Also, most gap-year counselors do not receive money from programs when they make a student referral; they are, therefore, more impartial judges of quality.”
In case of an emergency, it is essential that your child knows who he or she can contact. According to Travel.State.Gov, “Consular personnel at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad and in the U.S. are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens. Contact information for U.S. Embassies and Consulates appears on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website at Travel.State.Gov. Also, the Office of Overseas Citizen Services in the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs may be reached for assistance with emergencies at 1-888-407-4747, if calling from the U.S. or Canada, or 202-501-4444, if calling from overseas.”
Resources on Safety and Tips for Traveling Abroad
To research health and safety concerns while abroad, please visit:
- The Centers for Disease Control
- The Council on International Educational Exchange
- The U.S. Department of State Travel
- Travel insurance (I Next Card)
For firsthand accounts and gap year options, read sections 5 and 6 of the guidebook.
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