Program Reviews

Getting on the flight was one of the hardest and scariest things I have done. Finding yourself in a foreign place with no one but yourself is both terrifying and incredible experience, but one I will never forget. I found myself two months prior to leaving, not knowing where to go or what to do for the second semester of my gap year. I felt lost. I went to one my group leaders on my semester through Africa and asked him "What he thought?" It turned into a discussion about passion, spirituality, and adventure that I will never forget. Because of him I found myself arriving at one of the greatest places I have even been. Parque Ambue Ari. He told me many stories and prepared me for the lifestyle, the work, and the people there and I could not have been happier. I remember arriving to closest town, having everything written out in my journal and using all my skills I acquired through my first semester, it was getting dark and I had just grabbed the next bus out. I told the driver El Parque, and we were on our way. 45 min later I arrive, at the dead of night into this desolate looking camp located in the jungle. This place was my home for the next 4 months. My life comprised of me waking every morning at 6:30 in the morning and beginning work at 7. Every morning the volunteers would complete our daily and weekly task, which would consist of cleaning bathrooms to feeding Tapirs. At 8 we would all file into the comedor(dining hall), and have our breakfast of eggs and bread. Then it was off into the jungle for the morning. Each volunteer was assigned one or more cat to work with. I had Maggie, a Puma in the mornings, and Ru a Jaguar in the afternoons. Each day was a new and unbelievable experience with these animals, and everyday your bond with them would grow stronger and stronger. The work consisted of enriching there everyday lives, feeding, cleaning, clearing trails, etc. The conditions were not easy, and it was hard at times. But it was worth it, and the people you were with were there for the same reasons, you all loved and wanted to help these amazing animals! The people at the park were great, and I created so many great bonds with so many different people from around the world. Before arriving I was a shy kids, and many people at the camp commented on how much I had changed from my first 2-3 weeks at the park, to this outgoing, crazy, fun loving, weird kid. The change I saw in myself was great, and I have Carpe Diem to thank for that! Following my first three months at the park, I left and traveled around Bolivia a month meeting new people along the way, and making some new and great friends. I biked down death road, went swimming in Lake Titicaca, relaxed in hot spring under the stars in salar de uyuni, and so much more! The skills I had acquired on my first semester not only taught me about myself and the world around me, but how to live as nomad and have fun doing it! After traveling Bolivia for a month I decided to head back to the park for my last month, because It was the greatest place I went on my travels. Heading back to the park felt like I was heading home! Now I am home writing this review working as much as I can to save money for my next big adventure. I can't thank Carpe Diem enough for the time and effort the put into making this year the best I have had. Please if your reading this take a gap year through them, you wont regret it!

This was the absolute best three months I have ever had! Do it! I never to expect to have as good a time I did. I have had awesome adventure and made lifelong friends. Carpe offers a unique experience!

There are countless memories I have been fortunate enough to have with my Carpe Diem group.

The leaders met with our group at LAX with open arms. I enjoyed the beginning of our group orientation. We started with group activities which allowed us to ease into our 3-month long journey. With a small group we were all able to get to know each other well.

The hardest part of the trip varies from person to person. For me there was a lot of growth from within myself that wouldn't have happened had I not been challenged to reach outside my comfort zone. I felt comfortable enough to do this with supportive leaders and an openly communicative group.

I went on this trip because it was not a traditional study abroad program. I was able to gain social skills and life skills that I would not have gained if I had stayed inside a classroom. Carpe Diem encourages you to get out there and be in active participant, not a passive one. This was one of my favorite semesters of my college experience and I don't regret a minute of it!

I can't speak highly enough about my India experience with Carpe Diem Education. The program offered the perfect amount of independence and structure to where I felt completely supported at all times by my overseas educators and peers. The itinerary was incredible, allowing me to gain new perspectives and experience a lot of what India has to offer. From early morning temple visits with my host family in McLeod Ganj, to volunteering with disabled girls in Calcutta, my time in India was incredibly meaningful. The relationships I built with those in India as well as the members within my group are ones that will last a lifetime. Needless to say, I had so much fun as well. The energy was contagious and my OE's did a wonderful job of providing enough bonding initiatives to where we became family. India is beautiful, intense, overwhelming, exciting, thrilling, sad, inspiring, and everything in between. It is a phenomenal place that will push you outside your comfort zone, allowing you to develop and grow as an individual. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking for a challenging, engaging, and thrilling adventure.

Our daughter found Carpe Diem (offered through Portland State University) while searching for Gap year programs online. Initially my husband and I were skeptical about sending our 17 year old half way around the world. We really didn't know much about Gap programs at all. Turns out Carpe Diem has been running Gap year programs for a long time, and are very highly regarded. So Evin applied, went though the interview process, and was accepted for the South Pacific group. All of her financial aid applied to this program and she received college credit as well. I truly can't say enough good things about the Carpe staff in Portland--they are ALL simply excellent. We had fairly frequent calls to them prior to Evin's departure in September of 2013. Our questions were answered promptly and thoroughly. The group toured Fiji, New Zealand and Australia for 3 months. There were some challenges along the way....minor homesickness.....a bit more heat and cold than she was prepared for.....but Evin had the time of her life and formed lasting friendships with the entire group. She returned home in December for about 7 weeks and then began her Latitudes (volunteer) semester in far southern Thailand to complete a marine conservation internship. She flew there on her own, took the ferry to Koh Tao, and began her biggest adventure. We were relieved once she arrived safely, She has a daily job at New Heaven Dive, has rented an apartment, LOVES the food, and now has friends from all over the world. She is still in Thailand for another month, and has had lost luggage, her debit card compromised, had to get her visa extended, and suffered a bit of food poisoning. None of these things particularly fazed her has her first Carpe semester taught her to be patient, independent, and resourceful. She regards Carpe Diem as the "best decision I've ever made in my whole life". We feel exactly the same about it! If we had other children we would send them ALL to Carpe Diem!

My daughter went on the Uganda/Rwanda/Tanzania Gap Program in Fall 2013. She had previously traveled between sophmore and junior year to Costa Rica with another provider so had some basis for comparison. From her perspective, this was a superior trip, with many advantages over her prior experience: 1) the group was smaller with only 7 students and 2 adult leaders; 2) she felt the Carpe Diem philosophy was much more respectful about integrating into the local culture, such as appropriate attire. Highlights of the trip included incredible service projects working in an AIDs orphanage, a construction project at a home for disabled children, a 4-day safari which brought them up close to the "big four" wildlife, several days in Rwanda where they learned about the genocide, and the grand finale of getting their PADI certification in Zanzibar. The Carpe Diem leaders are very experienced, very in tune with their students, and have a way of connecting with these young adults in a special way, instilling a level of trust and camaraderie. They give the students the responsibility of negotiating travel or other arrangement so that they learn how to be savvy travelers. My daughter is now confident enough to travel other places abroad more independently. First class organization, and while it may seem pricey, they run an excellent program.

The Central America program with Carpe Diem was so much more than I could ever have expected it to be. It wasn't just learning Spanish, travelling to beautiful countries, and engaging in extraordinary opportunities. It was throwing myself into new experiences, knowing I had the full support of my leaders and fellow group members as I expanded my comfort zone by leaps and bounds. After Carpe Diem I could confidently say that I can backpack and hike mountains, hold conversations in Spanish (which I had never spoken previously), live with a host family and bond with them, and even scuba dive. My memories of dancing to the marimba in the cloud forest, roasting marshmallows on lava and throwing flour with children on Carnival are reminders that exploring new places can have amazing and lasting effects.

Without a doubt Carpe Diem has been the most significant experience of my life. I graduated from highschool last year and didnt really know what direction i wanted to take in life but i did know that i had a passion for travel and exploration.
Carpe Diem Education was the first gap year program i stumbled upon and even though i researched tons of other programs, Carpe Diem kept drawing me back to it. I absolutely loved the group dynamic CD provides as well as the wide range of activities provided in each different CD program, everything from adventure activities to community service projects to laughing with host families about language barriers and cultural differences.
My leaders on the trip were AMAZING. They were both so caring, fun, and extremely well educated in the ways of travelling. Both held a passion for life and were incredibly inspiring.
I had the time of my life on my Carpe Diem semester. I made new best friends, became more confident in my independence, and learned more about myself, others, and the world than i could have ever imagined.

Carpe Diem Education is incredible incredible incredible!

I had the pleasure of traveling to India with Carpe Diem in the Fall of 2011, and extending my experience to a solo trip into the Peruvian Amazon for the Spring of 2012. I can whole heartedly say that those 7 or so months spent under the experienced and worldly wing of Carpe are the most meaningful I've lived thus far - and they give meaning, and will continue to give meaning to my life as I live it presently. Traveling through Carpe has given me the maturity and responsibility (socially, environmentally, morally) that allows me to lead a conscious and fulfilling life of perpetual learning, in and out of school.
The staff of kindred souls are exactly the people you'd want guiding you through a foreign experience, both in person and from afar. I can testify to their dedication towards their students having spent three months in a remote location, still feeling confident and safe in my adventurous endeavors.

The most important part about Carpe Diem Education, I think, is their ability to facilitate a self-reliance within their students, allowing them to experience and interpret their travels first hand, while making sure important logistical, social, and medical issues are taken care of. I can speak personally to Carpe's ability to handle a medical situation having undergone several physical setbacks throughout my travels with them. And here I stand, a better, and healthier man for it. My only wish is that more students faced with an immediate college decision process could be exposed to what Carpe has to offer them - transforming souls in partial infancy to responsible, sustainable world citizens.

Since completing my course with Carpe Diem back in 2007, I still regularly catch myself in reflection of my experiences and lessons learned while traveling with Carpe. Not only did I learn how to handle myself and others in quite dynamic and unpredictable situations, but I also built up a whole new realm of confidence and courage within myself.

The staff at Carpe Diem is high quality, intentionally, and beyond helpful. I am still in close contact with the leaders from my trip, as well as the lovely folks in the office. The staff genuinely cares about the well-being of ever student and works hard to maintain meaningful relationships with both students and parents.

I always felt safe and in good hands throughout my travels. At one point I did become quite sick, and immediate precautions were taken in order to see that I was cared for and treated properly.

To this day I am constantly recommending Carpe Diem to others. Keep up the great program, Carpe!