Location
  • United States of America
Length
12 - 52 weeks
Program Tags
Arts College Credit Hands-On Learning Internships Journalism Music Post-High School Social Justice

Program Details

Activities
Backpacking Camping Canoeing City Exploring Hiking Kayaking
Timeframe
Academic Year Fall Spring
Housing
Apartment
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
17
Age Max
22

Pricing

Starting Price
18750
Price Details
Internship Year cost includes tuition and housing (one semester is $18,750 and the full year is $35,750). In addition to Tuition and Housing, many students and families add the Stipend Plan and Dynamy/Clark University courses to their Dynamy experience. The Stipend Plan is $150 per week to cover daily living expenses, such as food, laundry, transportation, and entertainment.

We are proud of our demonstrated commitment to financial assistance for students in need. We award need-based aid based on the School and Student Service for Financial Aid form (SSS), available at sssbynais.org. The Dynamy code is 2938.

For more information, https://dynamy.org/tuition-and-aid/
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Some Equipment Wifi
What's Not Included
Meals Transportation
Jun 22, 2023
Dec 07, 2021
30 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Founded in 1969, Dynamy Internship Year is one of the most established gap programs in the country. Our program offers a challenging and engaging gap year opportunity for students, age 17-22, who are interested in exploring and discovering different career paths through hands-on experiential learning. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, Dynamy is a domestic gap program where students are able to select from nearly 100 internship opportunities to explore during their gap year or semester. In conjunction with their internships and professional mentoring, students benefit from apartment living, college advising and optional college seminars through Clark University. With two different enrollment options, a full academic year or one semester, Dynamy offers students the flexibility to get the most out of their gap year. Dynamy’s unique, yet real-world, approach helps students find their focus, build confidence, and work on skills critical for success in college, a career, and beyond!

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Independent Living Skills- Students learn to live independently in apartments with other Dynamy students where they are responsible for their own meals, cleaning, and managing their schedule.
  • Advising and Mentoring- Weekly advising sessions encourage growth and conversations around goals and reflection throughout the year.
  • Experiential Learning- With 28 hours of internship work per week and the opportunity to do up to 3 internships over an academic year students get experience with different career options.
  • Life Skills Workshops- Students will participate in workshops focused on budgeting, time management, and other foundational executive functioning skills.
  • College and Career Counseling- Students work with our onsite college counselor, as well as their advisor, to discuss transition options for both college bound students and those entering the workforce.

Program Reviews

4.77 Rating
based on 13 reviews
  • 5 rating 76.92%
  • 4 rating 23.08%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.6
  • Support 4.85
  • Fun 4.6
  • Value 4.85
  • Safety 4.7
  • Program Selection 4
  • Pre-departure Help 5
  • In-program Support 4
  • Impact on Student 4
  • Value 4
Showing 9 - 13 of 13 reviews
Default avatar
M
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Dynamy Parent Past

My son enjoyed the Dynamy experience very much and definitely benefited from his year there in Worcester. He loved the independent living experience, the staff, and the other students. He felt supported by the Dynamy staff and was always very comfortable there. I can't think of a better step out of high school for him, especially given that he is not likely to be attending college.

*Hi there! Just wanted to note that this review was posted back in 2014, before Go Overseas increased the minimum length of reviews. We're thrilled to deliver more content to our users about gap year programs like this one to help our community make more informed decisions about their next adventure. To read more reviews for Dynamy Internship Year, be sure to keep scrolling through our site.

What would you improve about this program?
Things that I believe could use improvement are the assistance they get with the internship placements. I also felt that there was too much unstructured time. While I appreciate the independence they were given, I thought that the balance was a little off and as a result some of the life skills were not obtained.
65 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
David
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Gap year can be a major assistance

Many parents we talked to felt that a gap year program would be a great help for their teenagers. Schools seem to be encouraging a gap year as a chance to help young people mature before college. Yet there still seems to be a stigma about actually doing a program like this. For us, there was no doubt that a gap year was the right thing and Dynamy was a tremendous help in making it work well.
Our son was not at all sure he wanted to do a gap year and he was somewhat resistant to the program, but the folks at Dynamy could not have been more supportive, helping him to figure out what he wanted to do and encouraging him to find his own motivation for it.
He's in college now and is doing well. The year was a year of maturing and figuring out what he really wants to do with his life. It was invaluable.

70 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Prudy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Dynamy Internship Year 2013 - 2014

From a parent perspective, the initial interview and subsequent parent gatherings were very interesting and informative. We felt our daughter was well supported and encouraged throughout the year. Our primary goal for our daughter during the internship year was to gain confidence in herself and this was accomplished beyond our expectations. The year provided her with focus and motivation to set goals as she took the next step beyond Dynamy. In addition, the opportunity to take a college course each trimester was fantastic. Our daughter started her freshman year in September with almost a full semester of credit.

What would you improve about this program?
It would be helpful to be more realistic about the difficulties with transportation to many internships. Given the hours for some internships and the fact that Worcester has some challenging areas this could be a big problem for many people.
39 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ali
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Helped my son find his path

Great program for young adults who aren't yet ready to decide on a college program and don't know what other path to take. Gives exposure to a variety of work options through internships (3 during the year), and gives a chance to live independently, manage a budget, and do some guided self-reflection. I can't say how helpful this program was for my son who went straight into a job after the program and has truly found his calling in life.

What would you improve about this program?
I'm actually not sure I would change anything. It's important that parents step back during this year so the kids can take the lead in their own lives so the fact that there isn't a great deal of communication with parents is both intentional and healthy.
40 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Maddie
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Why Dynamy?

I'll tell you why Dynamy. I had a bumpy road all throughout high school due to personal issues I battled. I lost all confidence within myself and I needed to gain a new sense of self. Dynamy opened new doors for me and allowed me to grow in ways I never thought I could. I am happier and more confident in myself and Dynamy has a lot to do with the person I am today.

What would you improve about this program?
There is always room for improvement. Housing is plenty comfortable, but it would be nice to have more than one washer/dryer in each housing complex.

I also think the program should lead more towards individual preference in advising and check ins. Not everyone necessarily a check in when the advisor wants a check in. I feel as though individuals should be welcome to check in when they feel they need it most.
39 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers