ARCC Programs

I am so incredibly thrilled that I chose ARCC for the first semester of my gap year. All you need to know is that the ARCC East Africa program is one of the best experiences that any young person can take part in. And it is the BEST way to begin your gap year.

ARCC as an organization offers a well-rounded gap curriculum that combines volunteer work, education, and positive travel. I chose the East Africa program since it is in a region of the world that I had not yet traveled to. ARCC's connections in this region allow for the most unique and holistic experience. We met so many incredible people, and took part in so many incredible once in a lifetime experiences (rafting the Nile river, volunteering at Uganda Rhino Fund, seeing the animals on the Masai Mara, installing solar panel systems in Masai homes in Kenya). Without ARCC and this program, I would never know how incredible East Africa is.

So many times throughout the semester I thought to myself, "Wow, instead of being in a lecture or in any class I'm here." And that could be applied to any of the projects we did because they were so unique.

The bottom line is that if you want an enriching, well rounded, supportive, adventurous, and all-around incredible first semester of your gap year, go on the ARCC East Africa trip. This is where you want to be!

When I first signed up and got accepted into the program, I didn't really want to go because I felt that I was going to miss out on going to college with my friends and having a social life. Taking a gap year and doing this program made me realize that there's so much more in this world than we imagine. To have this opportunity is a once in a life time experience that I will never forget and I'm so happy that I did this trip.
I also took a gap year because I needed a break from school. I was mentally and physically exhausted and school was draining. This helped me just take a breather from the stress and anxiety school was doing to me.
I love my group and they will forever be my family. They are so supportive and loving, we have a special bond and it's so amazing how quickly we connected and got along. They were my rock and support system for three months, I won't find anything like this again.

I had an amazing three months on ARCC Gap in Asia. The itinerary was incredible, ranging from camping on the Great Wall of China to a Thai farming homestay. The group leaders were supportive and knowledgeable, and added so much to the experience. My group was full of friendly, passionate, and interesting people, and together we were able to have run no matter where we were or what we were doing. Our in-country guides were amazing, teaching us some of the native languages and showing us the best spots to eat. The program had a perfect balance of service projects, sight seeing, cultural immersion, and adventuring, with enough down time that we could be energized and well rested. My advice to someone going on ARCC Gap in Asia would be to go in with an open mind and to be very excited for a great three months of adventure and learning.

I learnt so much from service opportunities, but I grew from my reflective moments during bus rides. After a long day of work, I'd look out the window and observe how people interact with each other and their environment. Sometimes I'd laugh or frown, sometimes I'd think deeply about their actions. "How does this mother manage to balance her baby whilst riding her scooter?", I'd ask myself. "Ooh, I wonder what that fried dough tastes like!", I'd say. I thought I was only reacting to what I was seeing; little did I know I was slowly building character. Before, I did either of these three things whilst on a bus: read, listened to music or slept. But why would you want to waste the opportunity to observe? Don't let the world pass you by: pluck out your earphones, put your book away, open your eyes and look outside: now tell me, what do you see?

During the Fall 2018 semester in Asia, I found out that ARCCwas opening a new program in the spring, in Patagonia and Cuba. My original plan had been to go back to China in the Spring, with a different organization. However, that other organization’s program mostly did things that I was already doing in Asia. Patagonia and Cuba – that would be new to me, but at the same time be with ARCC, which I had great confidence in, so I switched plans. I’m so glad that I did!

I came into Spring Patagonia/Cuba semester trying not to judge it against my last semester, because I think that every trip is unique and special. This semester was very different from my last semester in many ways. I set a goal for this semester to have in more confidence in myself. I experienced a lot of ups and downs this semester which in the end were all worth it to me because in life you are expected to have a lot of highs and lows. We started off in Santiago, Chile where we spent a couple of days exploring the city. I had an opportunity to take part in a week-long language school in Vina del Mar. The class was challenging because I had never taken Spanish, but it was helpful since were were going to be in Chile for 2 months. I also got the chance to learn how to surf while helping local kids how to surf.

In Patagonia, we took on several hikes with a range of difficulty; I enjoyed them because they challenged me physically and the views were magnificent. We also did a lot of camping and learning to set up tents. Even though we had some difficult moments, that didn’t stop me from continuing to have another great life experience! On an especially bright side, when I arrived in Cuba I experienced a cultural that was very interesting to me. Not a lot of people get the chance to go to Cuba, and I am beyond happy that I got that opportunity. I was able to have a salsa dancing class which was super fun - something I’d been wanted to learn ever since I took dance in high school. Some other highlights of my trip included working on a pineapple farm and snorkeling in the Bay of Pigs. There are a lot of misconceptions about Cuba from a USA point of view, but when I delivered food on horse and buggy to the people, I learned that the people in Cuba are really nice and welcoming. Although my gap year has come to an end, I will never forget all long-lasting relationships and memories I’ve made and I know it isn’t the end of traveling for me!