Location
Multiple Locations +3
  • Uganda
  • Tanzania
  • Kenya
Length
4 - 26 weeks
Need-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility, BIPOC funding

Program Details

Activities
Animal Viewing Bird Watching Boating Camping City Exploring Farming Hiking Rafting Remote Exploring Safari Sailing Sightseeing Snorkeling Swimming
Timeframe
Fall
Housing
Guesthouse Host Family Hostel Hotel Tent
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
17
Age Max
20

Pricing

Starting Price
16000
Price Details
Program tuition includes accommodations, transportation, food and activities once participants are in-country. International airfare is additional.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Some Equipment Meals Park Fees Tour Guide
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
May 18, 2023
Nov 14, 2023
53 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

The East Africa gap year program explores the majesty, cultures, and challenges of three East African nations: Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. We take advantage of our unparalleled access and gain a unique education on this fascinating expanse of Africa. Shadowing a peer at Kenya’s first free all-female secondary school, we are inspired by the strength and passion of the next generation. Tromping through the equatorial rainforest with wildlife biologists, surveying habitat for endangered species, we witness the environmental struggle. Shadowing nurses in a rural health clinic in Tanzania, we gain a unique insight into access to health care for these Maasai communities. Building solar panels alongside local community members, we understand how important this renewable resource is for the families we are working with. Witnessing a family of elephants trek through the savanna of the Maasai Mara at sunrise, we experience one of life’s unforgettable moments.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

ARCC Programs believes that social responsibility is an essential aspect of our programming and business operations. We strongly believe that cultural immersion, cross-cultural conversations, and reflection on these experiences can increase self-awareness, promote empathy, and foster growth. We recognize that our staff, student, and participant body is not as diverse as we would hope. We also recognize that there are inherent imbalances in access, particularly when it comes to international travel and outdoor experiences. Recognizing the current imbalances and accessibility issues within the world and more specifically within experiential/outdoor education/gap year programs, we are able to move towards a more just and inclusive world.

ARCC is committed to increasing accessibility for our programs and supporting socioeconomic diversity within our community. ARCC’s Voyagers Scholarship provides up to five scholarship opportunities per semester to students who identify within the BIPOC community. These scholarships can range anywhere from $5,000-$8,000, and also includes gear lending and mentorship support throughout the gap year experience. The Voyagers Scholarship can also be combined with ARCC Financial Aid. If you are interested in applying, please reach out to gap@arccprograms.com.

LGBTQIA+ Support

ARCC Programs believes that social responsibility is an essential aspect of our programming and business operations. We strongly believe that cultural immersion, cross-cultural conversations, and reflection on these experiences can increase self-awareness, promote empathy, and foster growth. We recognize that our staff, student, and participant body is not as diverse as we would hope. We also recognize that there are inherent imbalances in access, particularly when it comes to international travel and outdoor experiences. Recognizing the current imbalances and accessibility issues within the world and more specifically within experiential/outdoor education/gap year programs, we are able to move towards a more just and inclusive world.

Neurodivergent Support

Our Essential Eligibility Criteria outlines the requirements for participation in our programs to determine if our programs are a good fit for each student. While ARCC Gap is not a therapeutic program, we do provide an inclusive environment for students with neurodivergence. We have had students with various diagnosed neuro-differences (such as dyslexia, ADHD, ASD, TS, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, etc) find success on our gap semester programs.

During our interview process, we have open communication with students and families about the support ARCC instructors are able to provide students while on program. For students needing some additional support, we ask them to complete a “Plan of Action” with their at home support system. These plans may include additional information about communication/support preferences, coping strategies, and/or specific requirements to encourage the student to engage with the program effectively. Once on the program, our instructors will periodically check in individually with each student, help the student stay accountable to their Plan of Action, and provide general support to all participants.

Accessibility Support

ARCC Gap Travels to locations around the world that have varying levels of accommodations for students needing accessibility support. For this reason, please see our Essential Eligibility Criteria to see if our gap programs are a good fit for you.

Whenever possible (determined by specific location and program - ie. infrastructure, access to specific health care facilities, dietary options available, etc), we have successfully assisted students with anaphylactic allergies, chronic medical conditions, and other accommodations on programs. We recommend that you reach out with specific concerns to your Gap Director to find the right fit for you.

Impact

Sustainability

At ARCC Programs we recognize that all human action impacts our physical environment and the living beings on the planet. Everything on Earth plays a role in supporting life and we believe that it is our responsibility to have a net positive impact with our actions. We strive to balance the impacts of our programming by partnering with communities and organizations with similar goals toward bettering our planet for future generations.

Ethical Impact

ARCC believes that we (as an industry) need to shift the way we think about international service. We (as a society) have now come to realize that international volunteers often benefit from their service experience, while the impact on the community can be short-lived or even harmful. We at ARCC are taking the years of experience that we have in the international service learning realm, have reflected on previous mistakes, learned from our in-country partners, and have made changes. Our goal is to live, work, and learn alongside community members while also making a positive impact. We are committed to partnering with local community-driven organizations to focus on reciprocity while contributing to established long-term projects. It is our responsibility to engage in mutually beneficial community-driven projects and teach fair trade learning principles to our students.

Program Highlights

  • Work at a Rhino Sanctuary and Witness the Efforts in Place to Protect Africa’s Sacred Animals
  • Whitewater Raft the Exhilarating Nile River
  • Construct and Install Solar Power Systems into Rural Tanzanian Homes
  • Shadow Nurses in a Maasai Health Clinic to Compare Traditional and Contemporary Medicine
  • Study Education by Living with Students at East Africa’s First Free All-Female Secondary School

Scholarships

ARCC Gap Financial Support

A gap year is something that we hope to make accessible for all students and ARCC works to level the playing field so that all applicants may have a successful opportunity for education, travel, growth, and self-discovery post-high school. We strive to uphold these pillars of our organization through a variety of means. Each year ARCC Gap awards financial aid to support students who would otherwise be unable to cover the full cost of tuition. Additionally, ARCC is committed to increasing accessibility for our programs and supporting socioeconomic diversity within our community. ARCC’s Voyagers Scholarship provides up to five scholarship opportunities per semester to students who identify within the BIPOC community. These scholarships can range anywhere from $5,000-$8,000, and also includes gear lending and mentorship support throughout the gap year experience. The Voyagers Scholarship can also be combined with ARCC Financial Aid

Program Reviews

4.95 Rating
based on 40 reviews
  • 5 rating 95%
  • 4 rating 5%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.8
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.95
  • Value 4.9
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 1 - 8 of 40 reviews
Default avatar
James
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Arcc

My experience was unique because in the last week I got tonsillitis and was almost entirely bedridden. I would suggest to future people to not get tonsillitis. Zanzibar seemed very cool and I would have loved to see and and suggest that others try and get sick before or maintain their health in order to see the final destination. Unfortunately I was stuck going in and out of hospitals and getting stuck with IVs. Overall John and Olivia were incredibly helpful and made the visits to the hospitals as pleasant as possible.

Pros
  • Adventure
  • Animals
Cons
  • Heat
  • Humidity
39 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Carolina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The next 70 days of your life

The East Africa trip with ARCC was absolutely amazing! We got to try so many new things and immerse ourselves in the local cultures from the very first day. We had the opportunity for home stays, service, and even white water rafting. (My favorite section was our stay at Daraja - the first all-girls school in Kenya.) We got to learn even more about the areas we were visiting through group discussions. Our group had such a fun dynamic and became so close-knit. My leaders, John and Olivia, were so fun and supportive.

I loved my experience with ARCC so much that I’m doing their Pacific Islands program in the Spring!

Pros
  • Homestays
  • Service Projects
  • Friends
Cons
  • Naur
41 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
marley
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

ARCC IS THE BEST EVERRRR

The group dynamic was incredible everyone was so fun and easy going. The leaders of the program are amazing. They are organized, patient, experienced, knowledgeable and helpful. They are super fun and make the trip so much fun! There were so many awesome amazing memories, however, my favorite might have been when we went white water rafting on the Nile River and it was A BLASSSSST!! I really wish I could do this program again in the spring. John and Olivia are the best leaders ever!! I learned so much about myself and different cultures.

Pros
  • SO MUCH FUN!!
  • experience
Cons
  • N/A
42 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Aidan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop ARCC ARCC ARCC

ARCC’s East Africa program has all the stops for a good gap year experience. The people I was with are similar to me, they are all navigating their life as they grow. The social scene is wonderful and you grow really close to these people and learn social skills. Cultural immersion on this trip is very good, the only touristy spot we go is to Zanzibar at the very end. Besides that, you can learn so much from local people. You can choose to be close with your friends, and/or be close with the local communities and culture. It’s a spectacular program. My leaders John and Olivia were the best I could have asked for. This program was so good that I’m doing another gap semester with ARCC, in the spring. Come with me on the Pacific Islands Gap Semester in February of 2024!

Pros
  • Great instructors who are very supportive, and you could even call them friends
  • Cultural immersion that is so real and so fulfilling
  • Development of social skills, and learning to love yourself
Cons
  • Rules are sometimes a little too strict, but not much.
39 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jackson
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wowowowoowowowow

ARCC IS THE GREATEST. EVERYONE SHOULD GO ON A TRIP WITH THEM. It is a really great way to meet similar minded people and experience the world like you never had before. You will create lifelong friendships and memories that will last forever. Your worldview will be permanently changed for the better, being more accepting of all and more conscious of how you impact the world. My instructors, John and Olivia were incredible. They quickly became some of my favorite people to talk to, and made this trip the greatest!

Pros
  • Community
  • Exploration
  • Fun
Cons
  • Naur
40 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Aditi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I had the best experience at ARCC!!

I participated in ARCC’s East Africa Fall Gap Program. Coming into the semester, I was excited to meet a new group of students all taking a gap year and explore parts of the world I had never been to. Throughout my semester, I met the best group of people, making friendships I know will last a life time and learned an incredible amount about the cultures, languages, and food throughout East Africa. The service projects were such a valuable experience as well. Even our instructors always brought the best energy to the group and were incredibly supportive throughout our two months abroad. I had such a wide and amazing range of experiences during this trip and learnt so much about the world and myself.

Pros
  • Meeting an amazing group of friends
  • Learning about new cultures
Cons
  • N/A
43 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sarah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I LOVE JOHN AND OLIVIA

ARCCs East Africa program was so incredibly amazing and life changing. Our instructors, John and Olivia, made the experience 100 times better. Through the homestays, service work, and adventures, I gained so much new knowledge and different perspectives which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I will forever remember everyone in my group as they became family and will now have forever friends. Although it was never racking to meet a new group of people John and Olivia provided comfort and support that helped me ease my way into meeting everyone and having the group bond with each other.

39 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Leslie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

ARCC IS THE BEST

My ARCC gap semester absolutely changed my life. I loved every aspect of it, I think it was very well planned out. Both of my instructors which absolutely incredible, they were so supportive, fun, understanding, and added so much to my trip. The trip was so much fun, and ARCC provided so much support, structure, and well organized planning to create the best trip possible. ARCC does a great job adding in so many immersive learning activities that helped me learn and grow in so many ways, while maintaining so much fun throughout the trip. Would definitely recommend!

15 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers