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Gap at Glen Brook

About

Gap at Glen Brook empowers young adults to create sustainable lives and resilient communities. We work toward this mission through place-based, experiential learning rooted in sustainable farming, homesteading skills, nature connection, intentional community, and self-inquiry. We offer an 11-week fall semester program at our year-round farm and outdoor education center, a 250-acre farm and forest property in the heart of southern New Hampshire.

Founded
2015

Reviews

Default avatar
Ava
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Crazy Fun Semester

I was super nervous about spending my fall in New Hampshire, mainly because coming form LA I have never experienced a real cold season. Luckily it was incredibly worth it even if I got a little cold.

At Gap and Glen Brook I went on so many amazing and challenging trips, from Canoeing in Maine, to days of hiking the MSG. I learned so much about life on the farm and outdoor leadership. I was expecting many aspects to be less impactful because I went on a gap program in the middle of the Corona virus pandemic, but that was not so. I was able to create an amazing experience with some amazing people.

Life with my cohort was the highlight of the program for me, there were 13 from all over America, we got a chance to build incredible bonds over the three months and make some crazy memories together. Living in falcon camp together and moving to the warm hill-house felt incredibly rewarding, I got to live with the most amazing roommates.

I got sold on this program by reading the reviews on this website, so I hope to inspire others to do the same.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
But also things I wish someone had told me:
Bring plenty of warm clothes, long underwear really came in clutch, but also fun outfits for group activities.
Organize dance parties, music nights, and baking nights they are a blast.
Think of it like a college dorm, bring posters, pictures, fairy lights, anything you want to decorate with for when you live in the hill-house.
Prepare for a diet change, you’ll most likely be eating lots of vegetables from the garden.
Some people will probably leave the program early, it happens.
Take lots of pictures, but try to not use your phone often, there are so many other rewarding activities to do.
Default avatar
Ethan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Lo and Behold! A place to find yourself

It is the perfect place to escape from the clamor and congestion of the fast-paced, technological, material lifestyle. Although guided by many knowledgeable and down-to-earth staff members, it is YOU who decides how to use your time. Pushing your limits is a must! It is beneficial in order to know yourself better, and what better way to find that answer than meditating amongst beautiful nature. Make the most of your time here, it is a valuable gem. It is important to try living simplistically midst the plentiful world.

Default avatar
Lilly
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Gap At Glen Brook

My experience as a part of Glen Brook's 2019 fall semester cohort was a truly life-changing one, it is a safe place for all young people, whether you are looking to take some time to venture into the world before starting college, looking for direction in your next step of life, or just want to experience nature and grow your understanding of yourself in relation to the rest of the earth. It is a fantastic environment to grow, adventure, and get out of your comfort zone while also learning valuable life skills such as communication and community building, as well as cooking, gardening/farming, time management, planning skills, and so much more. It wasn't easy, this program pushed to think differently and challenged me mentally, emotionally, and physically in a way I hadn't experienced in a very long time, but it's because of those struggles that I left Glen Brook happier and more self-confident than ever. I spent my semester experiencing beautiful New England fall foliage, exploring nearby towns and farmers markets on weekends, and making life long friends and connections.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
I think that the scariest part of starting anything new is just starting, walking into Glen Brook that first day by myself, it didn't matter how much I had read about it or how much I had prepared myself, it was still a big unknown and you just have to jump in anyways. Only after you do it will you realize there are people to catch you, and everyone else is nervous too, but you're all in it together, and knowing you aren't alone makes everything less scary.
Default avatar
Jack
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Glen Brook, and why it works

Glen Brook was great because what it does, is help you find yourself. That may sound cliché, but it's 100% true. It helped me to figure out what was happening in my life, what was going wrong, and what the ways were that best for me to use to fix things. I came from three lackluster semesters of college, not sure what to do with my life and where to go, to finding all the right tools to use to help myself keep moving forward. I learned about myself, and a I learned so much about the people around me as well, and how really, we're not all different as one might think.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I'd make sure the phones have much less of a presence. I don't know if I'd go for outlawing them, but make sure they're much more regulated.
Default avatar
Bella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My Gap at Glen Brook Experience

It is often times difficult for me to express how much I adore Glen Brook. I've been spending the past 8 summers there as a camper and CIT and it's a place I now consider my second home. This organic farm overlooking Mt. Monadnock is truly beautiful and filled with the most intelligent, kind hearted and mindful individuals that I'm grateful I've gotten to know and learn from. The lessons I had learned and the ways in which I had grown were already abundant from spending each summer there yet the gap program helped me grow in a new way. The connection I had with the Earth around me became even deeper and the ways in which I matured were pronounced. Stepping into an environment with little to no technology and distractive media truly helped me reflect on the world in which I inhabit. Learning to plant, grow and harvest our own vegetables to then directly cook for dinner with the other gapers gave me an immense amount of gratitude like no other. Similarly, using the wood from a fallen tree to carve a spoon instilled that same idea. It inspired a sense of personal responsibility as an individual living on this planet to act as I can to leave a positive footprint. Not to mention, this program has a wonderful balance of outdoor adventure trips, workshops, apprenticeships and meaningful activities. I learned an abundance of new skills, like cooking new dishes and creating a one match fire, as well as had the experience of living in a house with 10 other gapers. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to attend Gap at Glen Brook!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
As we paddled along the Moose River in Maine on our 5 day canoe trip, we often joked about seeing a moose as the name implied. After a few days, and no sighting of a moose, our hopefulness of seeing one was dulled. However, as we began our journey home on the bus, we saw not one but two moose! It was an exciting end to a challenging yet beautiful trip.

Programs

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I choose Gap at Glenbrook because I wanted to do something unique for my Gap semester. I knew that I wanted to do a gap that would be both exciting and learning intensive. I did not want to be one of those people who doesn't do anything with their semester or even year. I knew that, if I was going to do a gap, I wanted to do something where I would be able to learn in a "non-traditional" way.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Gap at Glenbrook assisted me by making the interview process very easy. The process begins with an online form that makes you really question the "why" of your Gap. Further, they give a list of everything you will need during your gap with them at Glenbrook. The only thing you really have to do on your own, is prepare yourself and head over to Glenbrook.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

The one piece I would give to anyone going into Gap at Glenbrook is to keep your mind totally open and try everything that Glenbrook offers. The people at Glenbrook are great and will absolutely push everyone to give their best everyday, but no one will make you do anything you don't want to do. If you keep an open mind, and do as much as you can during your time at Glenbrook, I promise that you will get everything out of it that you can.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The program evolves during the time that you are at Glenbrook, but for the most part your day is spent outside. Glenbrook follows what they term the "low-tech" diet, which is extraordinarily refreshing considering we live in a world of constant technological stimulation. The day is spent going to workshops, Socratic seminars, helping out on the farm, and enjoying the New Hampshire wilderness. The weekend is more on the Gappers, and many weekends we went into the neighboring town of Keene to watch a movie, get some food, or visit the shops.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

While Gap at Glenbrook is a domestic program, I did have some fears going into Glenbrook that are completely natural. It is always hard meeting an entirely new group of people but the staff and the opening programs make it very easy to bond with the fellow Gappers. I was able to meet so many varied people from all over the world, and make real lasting friendships. Overcoming the fear of meeting new people is what really helped when everyone lives together and works together. It certainly helps form tight bonds between everyone.

What singular experience had the greatest impact on you?

Near the end of Gap at Glenbrook, the Gappers choose their own "Deep Dive", which is essentially a project that gives back to the Glenbrook community, and leaves our mark on the land. Me and 3 other Gappers embarked on expanding a field for cattle, and building a fence with the felled trees. During the course of 2 weeks, we felled 333 trees using only axes and saws, and using a technique showed to us by a friend of ours and Glenbrook, and created a brush fence 475 feet in length. I learned that with the proper tools, mindset, and hard work, your goals are within reach. Yeah, it sounds cheesy, but because of this idea we did something none of us could have imagined doing mere weeks before we actually did it.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Alison Sever

Job Title
Former Co-Director
Alison came to Glen Brook after several years of running back-to-back international trips with high school and gap students in Latin America and East Africa. She grew up enjoying the outdoors of New England in canoes, in hiking boots, and on backcountry skis.
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What is your favorite travel memory?

This is a hard question! High on my list are jamming on the Malecón in Havana, Cuba; bringing my own family to my Tanzanian host family's home on Christmas Day; or watching, in silence, two volcanoes erupt in front of the sunrise in Guatemala.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Arriving at Glen Brook has enabled me to live the rooted lifestyle I was missing in travel. I love being able to wake up in the morning and go for a long walk in the woods, to really get to know our piece of property, and to be free from the constant coming-and-going mindset of travel. I feel fortunate to live in such a beautiful place!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

Our organization is embedded within the greater community of Camp Glen Brook, which is an organization deeply rooted in tradition (they've been around since the 1940s!) and currently host to some incredible and multitalented individuals.

We all care about the well-being of our community, so as a practice, we come together to play games, or to work on projects like clearing brush or wood-stacking for the winter.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I believe that communication from the heart and an openness to creative ideas are both essential qualities in a successful company.

Professional Associations

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