Program Reviews

You eat a lot of rice and beans, get rained on a lot, and learn so much. Be sure to be organized and not lose things like I did and always keep and open mind. Bring a portable charger and a kindle. Also have a learners mindset and be in the role of the student when in these new countries. Always keep your phone charger and always double check that have everything absolutely everywhere you go. All of these points I cannot stress enough because as great as the trip was, I made some mistakes that I want others to avoid making.

This program has many opportunities that were amazing and changed my perception of the world and of my possible future plans. I was pushed out of my comfort zone a lot and was forced to constantly roll with change; whether that be a change in plans or constant movement to new areas. The food and living situation was not always comfortable but always sufficient and never negatively impacted the trip as a whole. I did end up getting sick a bunch and of ranging times. Some small pieces of the trip seemed unplanned or last minute and did not go smoothly. This trip was also significantly more expensive than I originally expected and the side costs were large.

This program was amazing start to finish! I had the privilege of being immersed into new cultures and made valuable connections along the way! Not only was the food amazing, but also the places we have visited. We went from mountain to jungle to beach! The instructors created a wonderful sense of community where we could all work together on various things. I have learned so much about my self and gained a lot of new skills I can use for the rest of my life. Could not recommend a better gap semester experience!

It was a super enriching experience ! We did have lots of service but all of it I really did enjoy! My favorite service we did was Turtle Trax and Floating Doctors even though I at first was kind of dreading that experience ! The food here was also really great although it is a lot of rice beans and meat. I also had a very good time being on the water for about half the trip which allowed for swimming and surfing! Overall it pushed me out of my comfort zone quite a bit but that in turn helped me grow and I greatly enjoyed myself along the way!

This trip had a great mix of service and adventure. The service we did on this trip was extremely enriching and very fun. The adventure aspect of this trip was extremely fun while being very safe. Overall this trip was an incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone looking for a fun and enriching gap program.i learned so much about Central America a the culture there while also learning so much about myself. The instructors were great and very supportive. I have almost no negative things to say about this trip.

This is truly a once in a lifetime experience and if you have the opportunity to do this program then do it! This has done wonders for me as a person and made me so much more confident going into college and the rest of my gap year. I’ve learned about so many real world issues and been educated on so many things started from wolf packs in Yellowstone to migrants coming over the border of Mexico. I’ve been able to better find out what I want to do with my life and understand who I truly am as a person. If you’re looking to have a great productive gap year there is no better way to start yours out than with this amazing program.

I had a great time on my ARCC trip, I met some lifelong friends and created friendships that will last forever I hope. I gained so much knowledge and was able to have very unique and amazing experiences. For example we worked on a wolf sanctuary for a week, and got to pet and feed wolves that couldn’t live in the wild. It was so crazy! We also got to work on building a house on Navajo Nation. There were so many amazing opportunities that I would not have had if I hadn’t taken this trip! I am so thankful for this trip and how much I have grown throughout these 70 days. I also had the most amazing instructors who helped me abs were always there for me when I needed something!

I loved my experience on the Western US gap semester with ARCC. I made some amazing friends through this experience. I also got to see once in a lifetime views and places. Before this trip I have never been to a national park. Now I have been to 10 beautiful parks. Everything about this trip was amazing the group, the sites and the leaders. My favorite part of this experience was going to Yellowstone national park. The views were incredible, our partner Rihanna was a great teacher/guide and the animals were amazing.

Very good.
Would recommend to anyone who is trying to learn more about the world or themselves. I would also recommend this program to anyone who wants to get out of their comfort zone but doesn’t want to travel to a completely different country where you cant speak the language.
Because of this program, I got to experience things that I wouldn’t have been able to on my own. One of my favourite things that we did on this program was learning about the border wall in Arizona, which gave me a new perspective on the topic that I wouldn’t have been able to get by myself or from online learning

I had a great time in this trip we were able to see so much of the country and learn so much in a short amount of time. At each location from Yellowstone to Hawaii we learned about the culture, land and animals and how to preserve the land for future generations. I saw so many different options for possible careers and life paths which was very helpful in this time where I am trying to figure out next steps. There are so many possibilities and doors opened from this trip that I didn’t even know existed. I had an amazing time and made some great friends along the way as well as experiences that will shape who I am for the rest of my life.