LeapYear

Name: LeapYear
Brand: LeapYear
SKU: 419878
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

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Location

United States of America

Length

26 - 52 weeks

Program Tags

Hands-On Learning Instructor Internships Jobs Post-High School Religious Social Justice Volunteer Abroad

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Program Details

Timeframe

Academic Year

Housing

Apartment Guesthouse Host Family

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

What's Included

Some Accommodation Activities Some Equipment Some Meals

What's Included (Extra)

Software Subscriptions
Access to partnership deals and free resources

Last Updated: Feb 05, 2025

Last Reviewed: Feb 06, 2025

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About Program

LeapYear is a transformative gap year program that helps high school graduates discover their purpose and develop essential skills before college or the workforce. Through a structured combination of career prototyping experiences, professional development workshops, and one-on-one coaching, students explore different career paths while building valuable networks and real-world capabilities. The program includes rigorous aptitude testing, a 5-day kickoff retreat, and regular discipleship curriculum focused on understanding one's place in God's story. Students engage in at least three career exploration experiences, from job shadowing to internships, while participating in monthly workshops led by accomplished leaders on topics ranging from leadership and communication to social impact. Based in Austin, Texas, LeapYear creates a supportive cohort environment of 20 students who emerge with clarity about their future direction and the tools needed to thrive in college and beyond.

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Video and Photos

LeapYear is a structured one-year life accelerator for ambitious young leaders to gain experience, develop virtuous character, and build critical skills while discovering their calling.

Student journaling with one of the Spiritual Formation reflection prompts.

A student presenting during one of her career prototypes.

Student working on a project during their internship.

A student serving food in a refugee camp.

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Program Highlights

Discover your purpose and direction through intensive self-discovery, career prototyping, and professional mentorship
"Try on" careers through real-world experience while building a powerful professional network, marketable skillsets and a portfolio of work
Develop essential leadership and professional skills through monthly workshops and hands-on implementation
Join a cohort of 20 ambitious peers supported by dedicated coaches, accomplished mentors, and expert speakers
Ground your journey in faith through regular discipleship exploring the intersection of calling, work, and purpose

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Program Reviews

5.00 Rating

based on 1 review

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Rating Spread Gap Year

5 rating 100%
4 rating 0%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Housing 5
Support 5
Fun 5
Value 5
Safety 5

Showing 1 - 1 of 1 reviews

I started my gap year before I found LeapYear. It felt so overwhelming at first, I felt like I had too much time that I didn’t know what to do with, and the next week I’d feel overwhelemed. It’s all over the place and it can be very stressful, but that’s were LeapYear stepped in, the team helped me be organized and get connections that I never would have got on my own, they helped me stay accountable and focused when I wasn’t sure where I was heading, I truly believe that without LeapYear, my gap year would not have been near as successful as it is today.

The weekly coaching calls were huge for me - having someone to check in with and help me figure out my next steps made all the difference. I got so much real world experience. I had two favorite career opportunities that stand out. First, I got to be an assistant basketball coach, which combined my love of the sport with learning how to lead and mentor others. Then I interned with this organic social media company where I helped create viral content for celebrity brands. That was a total game-changer - I learned so much about digital marketing and creative strategy that I never would have been exposed to otherwise. I was coming up with ideas that got turned into content for CPG brands and got millions of views.

Beacuse of Leapyear, what started as an overwhelming and uncertain time and turned my gap year into a year of real growth and incredible experiences.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

I think the most surprising thing that I found was how, before LeapYear, I really had no idea what to do. I thought I’d have some kind of direction or idea of what I’d be doing on my own, but I was so lost on what to do that I wasted about 3 weeks of my gap year not learning anything, it wasn’t until I started LeapYear that I gained direction, set goals and started making my ideas come to life, that I really got anything accomplished. Within a week of joining LeapYear I had a clear path on what I could do to accomplish my goals that I had felt aimless on before.

Pros

The job opportunites I got were exactly the kinds of things I wanted to try
Having a coach check in every week kept me on track. When you're on your own it's really easy to waste time, but they help you stay focused.

Cons

You have to be in Austin for a lot of the program stuff. I was lucky to already live here, but I know that could be tough for people from other places.
Sometimes all the structure can feel like a lot - you've got coaching calls, workshops, your internship, group meetings. It's worth it but you definitely stay busy.

Questions & Answers

About LeapYear

LeapYear is a transformative gap year program that helps high school graduates discover their purpose and develop essential skills before jumping into college or the workforce. Through a structured combination of career prototyping experiences, professional development workshops, and one-on-one coaching, students explore different career paths...