Adventure and Leadership Program: Semester Length, Fall and Spring Cohorts

I had so much fun learning new things and going on adventures everyday. I learned how to surf and get over my fear of heights and made lifelong connections. Even with the COVID lockdown it was a great experience.

My health also improved over this trip. The hikes and surfing definitely helped my endurance and stamina. I know I will do a lot of hiking when I go home.

I also met people that I probably would not have talked to if it weren’t for this program and now they’re really close friends.

I had a great time with Irish Gap Year despite being nervous about how COVID would impact the program. I really feel that I got to see a lot of Ireland despite being on lockdown for half of the program. We got to see Belfast, Derry, Sligo, Enniskillen and other Irish cities. It was really fun living and getting to know people my own age while also getting to experience the beauty of Ireland. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who loves the outdoors and loves to hike and surf!!!!!!!!

Despite ever-changing covid guidelines in Ireland, the past three months have truly been some of the most memorable months of my life. The IGY leaders have a good balance between creating structured plans and allowing the gappers to independently explore/ decide what we want to do. The town of Bundoran is a very nice beach town and I really enjoyed waking up next to the ocean each day. My group became very close throughout our three months of camping, hiking, surfing, and exploring this beautiful country together! Highly recommend for anyone looking to reconnect to nature and make new friends.

Irish Gap Year was 10/10. I had so much fun in Ireland, despite COVID-19 restrictions. The programs leaders did a great job of making sure that we had a full experience, and we got to do a ton of activities, like hiking and surfing. It was incredible actually living in a foreign country, and engaging with the town and cities around us. I would definitely recommend this gap year program to anyone looking to immerse in Irish culture and enjoy the beautiful natural scenery, as well as forming great relationships with other students. I miss it so much!

This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I went into this program knowing that Covid would restrict some of what we do but, I feel as if I made the absolute most out of this program. Staying in the house with everyone was the best part of the program. We had a very fun and interesting group dynamic and I can honestly say there wasn’t a day where I was not bored. Despite Covid restrictions, the leaders did there best to keep us active and entertained. My favorite activity during the trip was surfing and I do plan on continuing to surf back in the states. I highly recommend this program to anyone wanting to try something new and exciting.

I had a great time in Ireland with Irish Gap Year and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. It was the perfect mix of adventure and fun while still developing leadership skills, making a positive impact in the community with volunteer work, and learning about topics ranging from environmental science to Irish history and so much more. From surfing and cliff jumping to hiking and jewelry making, all of the activities are amazing and the program does a great job of providing opportunities to try new things and always have fun doing it.

I had a fun time on this trip a lot because I was able to meet new people and spend time in a place that I had never been before. We were able to also do many activities that I had never done. I like the fact that we had a set schedule every week so we know what we are doing every day and we are prepared. The leaders were good people and were very helpful the whole time. I would recommend this program to anyone who is interested in doing activities like hiking, surfing, and cliff jumping. Great time overall.

Disclaimer: My experience was different from what other groups have done on this program given that I completed this program during COVID 19 and there were rules/restrictions in place. Regardless, I had an awesome time on this program. What made this program special was the relationships I made. I thought the activities done and the living arrangements (among other things) created great camaraderie among the group. I also thought the program did a great job of keeping us busy. Personally I am happy staying busy and it was a welcome change from the unfortunate alternative of living with covid.