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

My exsperiance with Irish Gap Year is one that I will never forget. We are not just a cohort, we are a family. I have made life long friends that i would do anything for and I know they would do anything for me. Irish Gap Year pushs you mentally and physically while giving you the preparation and support you need. The volunteering opportunities are meaningful and rewarding. Working with Liquid Therapy was a highlight of my time here. Teaching children with additional needs to surf while creating a relationship with them and their families was refreshing. Overall, Irish Gap Year has far exceeded my expectations. Choosing Irish Gap Year was the best decision I have ever made.

My experience was unique in the fact that this trip had some of the most interesting and different personalities that I’ve ever met. I made close friends with people I’m not sure I would have had I not been on this trip, as well as taking a class I’m not sure I was interested in beforehand. The amount of activities and events I have experienced definitely pushed my comfort levels sometimes, but always enabled me to take away something positive each time. As far as personal growth, I would say this program certainly allows each participant to come away from this trip with something positive, although it is ultimately up to the person attending about whether or not they are going to push their comfort zones and grow.

I had so much fun and I grew as a person a lot. I learned so much about myself. This gap year program made me realize what I am truly capable of. This program made me see my true potential. I got to see and learn so much about the history of Ireland and Ireland as a country itself. Every hike and trip I went on was so much fun and everytime I was blown away with how beautiful the town/cities and the views on the hikes were. I 100% would recommend this gap year program. I would totally be down to do it again

This program was a truly incredible experience. As an approaching college student, I was looking for a way to spend my gap year where I where I would also grow as a person, gain leadership skills, and be able to work on my weaknesses as a student. This program gave me all that and more. From the incredible, challenging yet always rewarding and beautiful hikes to the educational and fun city trips, Irish Gap Year has been one adventure after another. Perhaps the best thing I've gained from the program is the social connections and friends, as cheesy as it sounds. I was previously worried about going to college and living with people other than my family. This program gave me a taste of how that would go and what I needed to improve on and what my skills already were. The greatest thing about this program is the staff. All the program leaders and staff here were extremely supportive and it's obvious how much they care about the students and how much they enjoy their job. All in all, I must reiterate how much of an incredible experience this was and how strongly i recommend it to other students craving adventure, leadership opportunities, and strong community.

I really loved this program! The staff is so welcoming and personable. They really made the experience what it is. They always made themselves available to talk if need be. They handled problems with a great amount of thought, grace, and efficiency.
I really grew a lot as a person during this program because the activities we did pushed me. It made me realize that I am a lot more capable mentally and physically then I previously thought.
Also, the Irish people welcomed us with open arms. We really got to know people from local businesses. I met a lot of great people on this trip that I will keep in contact with and I know that if I ever come back to Ireland there are people hear I call up. One of my favorite things that I will miss is being able to walk out of the house, look left and see the ocean and the cliffs, look right and see Aroo Mountain. It is the most humbling feeling. I would recommend this program to people who love the outdoors and are up for anything.

This program has been a truly once in a lifetime opportunity. The activities, volunteering, and leadership workshops were so much fun, but more than that, I grew so much as a person and gained a family within my cohort. Additionally, our leaders provided an incredible guiding hand when necessary, however also allowed us to make our own mistakes and become more independent people. Overall, this has been an amazing experience and if I was given the chance to do this program again, I would in a heartbeat. I have so many memories from these three months and I wouldn’t trade those for anything.

Irish Gap Year was a very amazing experience because I have grown so much from this program and if you need a break from school and trying to find yourself this is the program to do because how much you do and it’s nothing like home and I really loved this program because how much I’ve gotten to grown because it’s more than just going on hikes and leadership activities. The relationships I have made here will last a long time and I have made a good bond with our leaders and living with everyone.

Irish Gap Year offers much more than adventures and leadership workshops. They challenge you to find your voice amongst adversity within the group and helped me gain more confidence and awareness of who I am and what I believe. The staff shows full support between all hours of the day and have been there whenever called/needed. IGY is a great fit for older teens to make mistakes and achieve personal growth in a beautiful place amongst amazing support. My program leaders Sarah B and Ryan H really succeeded at making relationships with the entire cohort and treating us as adults. The entire staff does a great job of allowing us to make mistakes without making us feel childish. The program is a great place for new adults to test different things and figure out who they are outside of academics and past relationships in an environment that supports the mistakes and the wins wholeheartedly.