Year Out Group - Gap Year | Cultural Exchange | Voluntary Work Abroad

I went to Banff in 2013, for twelve weeks and I can safely say that it was the best experience of my life so far. Before the course, I was doing my A Levels and applying for university. I applied for a deferred place, so that if I got in, ... [ Read more... ]

Hannah Banks enjoyed a 10 week adventure trail in Cambodia that included a four week teaching placement organised by FrontierExcitedly I left England behind and headed straight for Bangkok; after meeting the rest of the trail we embarked upon a three week venture around Thailand: visiting the historical and cultural ... [ Read more... ]

Jamie Snedden is on a one year teaching placement in Sri Lanka arranged with Project Trust.  He arrived in September 2012 and this blog describes how he's faring at the halfway stage.February began with my first visit from family. Having failed twice to reach Sri Lanka- once due to the ... [ Read more... ]

Kym Anderson (19) was a Particip8 volunteer in India, 2011/12. She is now the Finance and Fundraising intern at Project Trust, but took some time out of her day job to share her thoughts on her volunteering experience. I volunteered in Sevalaya in India, which is a big project based ... [ Read more... ]

Polly volunteered at the Big 5 Wildlife Conservation in South Africa and experienced amazing encounters with Africa's famous Big 5 - lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. She lived on a private game reserve and received a 1 week bush craft training course."I went on the project as I'm studying ... [ Read more... ]

Julie worked in the orphanage and community projects such as rural village schools whilst living in a rural Cambodian town with breathtaking scenery and mysterious temples."I really enjoyed my time at the project, getting to know the children at the orphanage; they were all so lovely and wanted to spend ... [ Read more... ]

Lizzie volunteered in Nepal at a Child Care centre and street children's centre in Pokhara, Nepal earlier this year."I had a wonderful time with PoD in Nepal and would highly recommend it to anyone. You really get to see the benefit of the work you do and bringing happiness and ... [ Read more... ]

These blogs were written by George Dabby (18, below) who is currently on his gap year with The Leap in Venezuela. He is completing a 10 week Team volunteer placement which combines community, marine conservation and reforestation projects with adventurous mountaineering and Spanish. Week 1Hola from Venezuela!I´m George and ... [ Read more... ]

Whilst planning my gap year, I toyed with the idea of travelling alone around Italy for copious amounts of time. My main purpose being to visit the art I had learned about and loved whilst studying A Level Art History.When hearing about Art History Abroad, I was absolutely fascinated with ... [ Read more... ]

I decided to take a gap year because after spending 14 years educating myself I felt that I deserved some time off!  I spent some time in my final year of school deciding what I wanted to do. It wasn't easy, so I ended up writing down a few criteria: ... [ Read more... ]

Alexandra volunteered with PoD in Thailand during her University summer break."My time spent at the Marine Conservation Project on Koh Tao was one of the most amazing and influential experiences of my life. After completing 2 years of university I was still very unsure as to what I really wanted ... [ Read more... ]

Brogan joined the PoD team in Nepal during her holiday from university and volunteered at a street children centre, orphanage and child care centre with PoD in Nepal. Since returning from Nepal Brogan has continued to fundraise to help support the projects she volunteered with in Nepal through the PoD ... [ Read more... ]

Beth volunteered at the Thailand Elephant Care & Wildlife Rescue Centre. "My time in Thailand at the Wildlife Rescue Centre was the best experience of my life. Everything from my pre-departure contact with PoD, through to my time while I was at the centre was really well organised. The centre ... [ Read more... ]

Olivia McAlpine BA (Hons) MSc MRICS is a Chartered Surveyor at Strutt & Parker LLP and most importantly a Leaper in 2005.At the moment I work at Strutt & Parker as a chartered surveyor working in commercial property. Not at all what I was gearing up for when I went ... [ Read more... ]

Mirlah Thornley recently finished Frontier's Central America Ethical Adventure Trail. She describes trip highlights, (un)typical days, future plans and essential backpack items! We think it's safe to say that Mirlah had a good time.Into the Wild: Why did you choose the Central America Ethical Adventure Trail and what placement did ... [ Read more... ]

Volunteer Rachael Castle relates her experiences of double Madagascar stint on Frontier's Marine Conservation & Diving and the Wildlife Conservation Adventure projects .Into the Wild: What was the favourite part of your trip?Rachael: Learning about and seeing all the different animals and fish, especially the geckos, they're really cute.Into ... [ Read more... ]

Between school and university Natasha Black took a gap year that spanned three continents. As well as taking a cookery course in Ireland and travelling around New Zealand, she spent a winter season in western Canada training to become a ski instructor. To follow is her story from an ... [ Read more... ]

Year Out Group has been promoting the long term benefits of a structured gap year programme for over 14 years.  Here Will Crone describes how the skills and experiences gained on his three month teaching gap year teaching placement in Malawi arranged with Africa & Asia Venture helped him ... [ Read more... ]

Rory Weston relates how he benefitted from his gap year teaching project in Malawi arranged with Africa & Asia Venture.In January 2009 I was privileged enough to embark on one of AV's 16 week projects, in my case, in Malawi. This was, without a doubt, a landmark period in ... [ Read more... ]

  PAST VOLUNTEER INTERVIEW: DAVE HARPER - SOUTH AFRICA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PROJECT Today Into the Wild meets Dave Harper who volunteered out on Frontier's South Africa Wildlife Conservation. Out on the project volunteers work on the game reserve helping with the maintenance of the reserve and the reserve's animal rehabilitation ... [ Read more... ]

ENVIRONMENTAL AMBASSADORS OF MAFIA ISLAND HEADING TO SWEDEN FOR VOLVO ADVENTURE AWARDS 2012Congratulations to the students from the Kitomondo Secondary School on Mafia Island who have been selected to represent Tanzania at the Volvo Adventure Awards for Young Environmental Leaders in Gothenburg, Sweden from June 1-6, 2012.The Environmental Ambassadors of ... [ Read more... ]

Peter Gordon-Finlayson took a gap year in 2005, part of which was spent in Africa with The Leap. Now, seven years later he reflects on how his experiences as a Leaper shaped him, the practical skills he gained and how a gap year has helped him career-wise..."I want you ... [ Read more... ]

Ollie volunteered at the Belize Caribbean Wildlife Centre with PoD. The Wildlife Centre is home to over 125 native animals including jaguars, pumas, ocelots, tapirs, harpie eagles, crocodiles, howler monkeys, gibnuts, scarlet macaws, toucans, king vultures, boa constrictors, coral snakes and many more beautiful and incredible animals of Central America."My ... [ Read more... ]

Hannah chose to spend her first time travelling alone helping one of her favourite animals; horses by volunteering at our Horse Rehabilitation project in South Africa with PoD. "A fantastic experience, so much so I changed my flight and stayed longer! It is one of the most ... [ Read more... ]

Emma volunteered at PoD's Caribbean Reef Conservation project in Belize and learnt to dive whilst on the project "Diving was a completely new experience for me, I'd never even snorkelled before, but after the two weeks on the island in Belize, it was a part of me and I'll ... [ Read more... ]

James Hammond is currently on his gap year with Year Out Group member, Oyster Worldwide.  He is on a teaching placement at Burka Primary School in Arusha, which lies in their shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro. James's blog is inspiring.  It covers the journey out and the first couple of ... [ Read more... ]

"The three months in Tanzania was some of the best months of my life, I will never forget Yamba and Milingano and all the villagers and children I met there! I cannot wait to go back at some point. It is so amazing to live in such a beautiful remote ... [ Read more... ]

Kim took her passion for photography to South Africa where she worked at PoD's pioneering Cheetah Reintroduction project."This project was amazing - certainly the most enjoyable/rewarding experience of my life so far. The cheetahs are beautiful and the staff are amazing - you get all the support you need and ... [ Read more... ]

Kathryn volunteered with elephants before starting college where she will study zoology with a hope to work with endangered species one day."The whole experience was beyond amazing; the most amazing experience of my life!I arrived after a long and tiring flight to George airport in the afternoon. As I walked ... [ Read more... ]

Abi was training to be a nurse and decided to do something completely different during her summer holiday. "I ABSOLUTELY loved my time working with elephants; I'm considering going back next year after uni to stay for much longer :) I don't really know how to put because it was all ... [ Read more... ]