The Good Life Gap Semester in Maine

The Good Life Gap Semester in Maine

Location
  • United States of America
Length
4 - 12 weeks
Program Tags
Arts College Credit Conservation Hands-On Learning Post-High School Wilderness Yoga Retreats
Need-based funding, 529 Plan eligibility, BIPOC funding
Health & Safety

Program Details

Activities
Boating Canoeing Cross-Country Skiing Farming Hiking Kayaking Snowshoeing Swimming Yoga
Timeframe
Fall Spring
Housing
Guesthouse
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
17
Age Max
22

Pricing

Starting Price
13900
Price Details
Fall Semester Total Program Cost: $14,900 | Spring Semester Total Program Cost $13,900

Cost includes everything: tuition for 10-12 credits, room & board, all fees, outdoor gear, books, journals, unlimited tea and marshmallows.

Scholarships available (need-based & equity-based). Please inquire.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Equipment Meals Park Fees Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Travel Insurance
Jun 05, 2026
Jan 05, 2026
25 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Three-Time Winner of Award for Best Overall Gap Year Provider by GoOverseas! Four-Time Winner of Community Choice Awards! Apply now for our Fall Semester and Spring Semester programs.

Step away from the confusions of everyday life and make yourself at home on a 60-acre homestead peninsula in the coastal woodlands of Maine. This immersive, experiential program allows you to live in intentional community with a cohort of 20 fellow students who like you are setting aside a season to explore the good life. The program engages the whole person: body, mind and soul. You’ll partake of experiences in nature, learn to forage & garden & cook, read inspired texts (one at a time), live into the big questions, practice mindfulness, connect to creativity and cultivate friendships based on the deeper things. Along the way you’ll complete 3 college courses (one at a time) for 10-12 credits with award-winning professors who embody the spirit of experiential learning.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

This program offers a close-knit, supportive community where students engage deeply with nature, philosophy, and creativity.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

At Seguinland Institute, we are intentional about creating positive and respectful educational opportunities within a growth-oriented environment. As a student, you can expect an inclusive learning environment that is free from discrimination or favoritism. You are entitled to freedom from physical or verbal harassment of any shape or form. We agree with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's idea of "the danger of the single story." We thus create a multi-perspective, multi-narrative approach to all discussions.
At Seguinland Institute, we are intentional about creating positive and respectful educational opportunities within a growth-oriented environment. As a student, you can expect an inclusive learning environment that is free from discrimination or favoritism. You are entitled to freedom from physical or verbal harassment of any shape or form. We agree with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's idea of "the danger of the single story." We thus create a multi-perspective, multi-narrative approach to all discussions.

Program Highlights

  • Inhabit the Coast of Maine: Live in riverside cottages, canoe the river, hike the preserves, beach comb by the open ocean, boat trip to islands, lighthouses, bald eagles & seals, multi-day trip to Acadia Nat'l Park, sunrise from Cadillac Mt.
  • Rediscover the joy of learning. Explore ideas to live by. Connect to Creativity | 3 College Courses: “THE GOOD LIFE COURSE” (Philosophy), Philip Francis PhD, “GOOD LIFE FOR ALL" (English), Seguinland Faculty, "THE CREATIVE LIFE" (ART), Marsha Dunn, MSW
  • Cultivate Mindfulness: Built-in daily practices for calming and focusing the mind and knitting together your attention span. Also, “Tree Dwellers Retreat”: stay a night in a luxury treehouse w/ wood-fired cedar hot tub. Also: Scandinavian-style sauna!
  • Good Life/Food Life: Eat good food here. Volunteer at an organic farm that gives its produce to people facing food insecurity. Work w/ expert local foragers to identify, harvest and cook a foraged feast. Feel nourished.
  • Create Intentional Community & build friendships based on deeper things. In a time of social fracture and crises of meaning and belonging, community building is crucial. Envision game nights, dance parties, bonfires, communal meals, star-gazing!

Program Reviews

4.95 Rating
based on 107 reviews
  • 5 rating 95.33%
  • 4 rating 4.67%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.8
  • Support 4.9
  • Fun 4.95
  • Value 5
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 65 - 72 of 107 reviews
Pia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The good life indeed

I don’t know what I was expecting from Seguinland but it never failed to surprise me. I found a community full of love, respect and support. I created bonds that will hopefully last for life. I got out of my comfort zone and did things I would never have thought of doing, like hiking a mountain at 3am and kayaking for hours. I found a group of staff that understood us and treated us like adults. I found knowledge within myself while holding my friends’ hands through this path. I found peace in solitude and comfort in my community. I found a new family and with amazing perspectives to life. Loved it and would totally recommend it!

106 people found this review helpful.
Ella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Success

"I came here to question my life and instead I fell in love with it." Truly indescribable. I could say that this program is 10 weeks of yoga, discussions, dance parties, readings, painting, thinking, camping, bonfires, dishes, movie nights, family dinners and more but it would not even begin to explain the scope of it all. I was challenged in all regards–you push yourself to new comfort zones and have a whole community behind you as you do it. I will come away from this with 19 lifelong friends and 8 mentors.

Pros
  • learning independence
  • practicing communication in small community-living
  • cooking with your friends most nights!
Cons
  • hard to find alone time with a packed schedule
  • If you grew up in the city, this program will challenge your ability to stay put
95 people found this review helpful.
Arushi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Honestly a fresh breath of life :))

This experience felt like a fresh breath of life for me. I’m so grateful I took this chance. I’ve made lifelong memories and built a greater sense of confidence. This was my first time living without my family (I was straight out of high school). This program helped me feel more affirmed in the hope I have for my future. The staff and faculty were like family. It felt like growing up in the best way as I experienced new things every day. I enjoyed the kindness, openness, and support all the staff gave us. I wouldn't have considered myself a very outdoorsy person before this experience but now I know that I love the outdoors more than ever. Living in a community takes a lot of effort and I’m glad that I got to learn how to put that effort in. I’ll always think back fondly to dance parties in the cookhouse and the warmth of bonfires and friends."

91 people found this review helpful.
Sophia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

There is nothing better than Maine in the Fall!

Seguinland is wonderful! The program allowed me to explore every unexpected creative outlet, live in a wonderful, authentic community, try all new perspectives and challenges, and will truly stick with my for life. I grew in so many ways and found new capabilities, friendships and passions. I am more authentic, creative, confident and joyful because of my time in The Good Life Gap Semester. The Seguinland staff gave me such a sense of home away from home and have so much kindness and support in their hearts. What will stick with me the most is the people, everyone in the program was so loving and down to earth and it was so unique to be able to build a community all together. My time at Seguinland is unforgettable.

95 people found this review helpful.
colette
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

the best 10 weeks ever!

My biggest takeaway from my time at Seguinland is to embrace the unexpected. In your time here you will practice the art of getting lost and then found again. You will face challenges, physically, mentally, and come out stronger on the other side. Kayak trips, crazy hikes, hours of solitude, and hard conversations are bookended with gorgeous, mindful mornings in the gathering space and cozy nights in the cookhouse surrounded by great food and better friends. You will get muddy, paint-y, tired, hungry, sweaty, giggly, pee-yourself-laugh-y, contemplate-philosophically-y, warmed, fed, hugged, taught, and loved unconditionally by a strong, tight knit community.

Pros
  • unique and mind-opening learning experience
  • BEST staff ever
  • absolutely wild life changing adventures!
Cons
  • no wifi :(
89 people found this review helpful.
Lula
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Review of Seguinland Institute

I had the most amazing time at Seguinland! It was definitely the perfect program for me. The beautiful campus and the fresh air provides the perfect place to learn and grow. The things that I was nervous about coming into the program vanished once I got there. The first few days were mostly focused on getting to know the program, place, and people, which eased a lot of my anxiety. The staff were also great at accommodating needs (allergies, time for students to have online appointments, etc.). But above all, even though the program itself was nearly flawless, the thing that made it perfect was the other students. I have always been a pretty quiet person and it takes a while for me to open up. I was nervous that I wouldn't make any friends but by the time I left after 10 weeks, I walked away with 19 people that I now consider family. The time we shared together will always stick with me and have a special place in my heart.

Pros
  • The other students
  • Cooking and cleaning dinner with friends
  • The guest speakers that came in were amazing and had so much knowledge that they were willing to share with us.
Cons
  • The weekdays are usually packed with things for most of the day so it is hard to find time for yourself
  • Most of the appliances in the cabins are old and hard to use
93 people found this review helpful.
Elie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A great gap year program with great people and great staff

My experience at Seguinland Insitute in the good life gap semester program was fantastic in many ways. It feels like you're living in a family, not just because students are surrounded by the real-life families (including kids) of the staff - who are largely part of one family - on a daily basis, but also because of the community-based structure of the entire program: all the meals (except for the rare occasion) are home-cooked and all the dinners are eaten together. The student body is small enough for each and every student to get to know each other during the duration of the program. Instead of the usual apartment style dorms that are common in post-high school education, the students stay in very well-furnished and cozy cottages. Mine had a kitchenette stocked with just about every kitchen item you'd need on a day to day basis. The program is built to build quality relationships with students, Earth, the staff, our inner landscape, and teaches students what the good life is in a very very individualized way - direct experience. The campus is very beautiful and everyone in the program loves music, the outdoors, and new and interesting experiences.

Pros
  • Very supportive staff
  • Beautiful campus
  • Interesting guest speakers
Cons
  • Some of the topics are very deep and some people might find it hard to engage sometimes
99 people found this review helpful.
Mikayla
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I gained far more than I thought 10 weeks could give me

The marsh welcomed me onto it's land. It gave me views I'll always remember, woods to immerse myself in, and a breathtaking amount of stars.
It was truly about the people. Phillip and his family let us become apart of their lives, teaching courses but also giving us space to grow as they supported us in every way. The guests we met were inspiring and provided such rich moments. I was naturally drawn in to close friendships with the other students.
Allow yourself to be open minded and vulnerable and you'll find yourself changed.

Pros
  • Getting to live in a stunningly beautiful place
  • Great mix of structured time and downtime
  • This is how learning should be. Experiential, exciting, and passionate.
119 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers