Gap Year Opportunities Abroad

International Institute for Restoration and Preservation Studies
San Gemini Preservation Studies is a summer field school that organizes lectures, research, fieldwork, workshops and fieldtrips in the disciplines of historic preservation, restoration and conservation. It is located in Central Italy in the city of San Gemini. Programs focus on the study of architectural survey and restoration, traditional methods of painting, conservation of archaeological ceramics, and the restoration of books and works of art on paper.

Adecco
Adecco is an international recruitment agency that recruits for temporary and permanent positions in business, education, engineering, health and construction.

Mountbatten Institute
Mountbatten offers skilled, motivated graduates and young professionals the opportunity to pursue a one-year paid internship in London. Positions are mainly finance based (with large multinational companies), but also include accounting, human resources, marketing and communications, IT, and law. Interns also pursue a postgraduate qualification awarded by St Mary’s University College, London, with either an MBA degree in International Business Practice or a Postgraduate Certificate in International Business Practice Following the London year, those who pursued the MBA track may complete the full degree through an intensive semester of academic study in Bangkok, Thailand. Accommodation is provided in both London and Bangkok.

Au Pair.com
Search for families seeking au pairs in a range of countries.

Interexchange
Helps to connect individuals with au pair opportunities that typically range from 9-12 months in duration, beginning in September.

International Au Pair Association (IAPA)
Based on country, find agencies that can assist in au pair placements.

Jewish Service Corps
The Jewish Service Corps (JSC) is a unique one-year volunteer opportunity for active, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, Jews to serve, and take part in the life of, a Jewish community abroad. Volunteers should have a strong Jewish background and a passion for transmitting it, as well as experience in formal/informal teaching or social welfare. Knowledge of Hebrew is valuable in many placements. JSC provides round-trip travel expenses, housing, health insurance coverage, a monthly stipend for basic living expenses, and a small end of the year bonus.

Peace Corps
Peace Corps volunteers have been working in agriculture, education, forestry, healthy, engineering, and skilled trades since 1961 in over 90 countries, including Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, and the former Soviet Union. As the world changes and democracies emerge, countries are now requesting assistance in other areas, including business, the environment, urban planning, youth development, and teaching English.

Volunteers in Asia
VIA, founded in 1963, provides U.S. citizens ages 18-75 with volunteer opportunities and fellowships in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and Thailand. Volunteers may teach English or work with a local non-profit.

Volunteers for Peace
An international voluntary service exchange that operates over 3000 projects in 100 nations worldwide. Location, length and nature of project vary depending on the volunteer's interests.

American Village
Nacel offers children an incredible opportunity by bringing together all the elements necessary for a complete immersion in a foreign language without leaving the country. A new way to learn a foreign language: a linguistic immersion at home.

CIEE (Council Exchanges)
CIEE Teach Abroad programs offer individuals with a bachelor’s degree a unique and affordable opportunity to live and work in these fascinating countries and to gain insight into the life and culture in a way no traveler could. Teach abroad options for recent graduates include Chile, Spain, Thailand, and China.

Cloud Forest School
Located in the Tilarán Mountain Range in northwestern Costa Rica. the school has approximately 200 students in preschool through 11th grade. Given that the school is located in the cloud forest, there is a strong ecological focus, with environmental learning implemented into the curriculum. Their intern program offers the opportunity for those interested in education to work in an international setting while doing student teaching.

Inlingua
Places people in a variety of countries as teachers of English.

Interexchange
Offers international English teaching opportunities in pre-schools, grade schools, middle schools, private schools, and roles as teacher assistants, teacher interns, and library assistants. In general, the programs do not require prior teaching experience, and most provide orientation sessions to help prepare you for your role as an English teacher.

Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme
The JET Programme was started with the purpose of increasing mutual understanding between the people of Japan and the people of other nations. It aims to promote internationalization in Japan’s local communities by helping to improve foreign language education and developing international exchange at the community level.

North American Language and Culture Assistants in Spain
This program is an academic "continuing education" grant provided by the Ministry of Education of Spain. The program sends its participants to Spain to serve as teaching assistants, sharing their native knowledge of the English or French language and North American culture in Spanish K-12 public schools. Deadline is March 30, 2010 and grants are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Teaching Assistantships in France
Every year, the French Ministry of Education and the Cultural Services at the French Embassy offer between 1,000 and 1,500 teaching assistant positions in French primary and secondary schools and in Instituts Universitaires de Formation des Maitres (IUFM’s) in all regions of France. Requires proficiency in both French and English.

TESOL
Claims to be the world’s leading authority on TESOL and provides a site full of information for those looking to become certified in TESOL.

Adelante Abroad
Adelante offers a variety of unpaid internships and volunteer placements for U.S. citizens in Spain, France, and Central America.

British Universities North America Club (BUNAC)
A work/travel organization offering short-term working holiday visas for recent U.S. university graduates in Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. BUNAC also offers volunteer abroad programs in Peru, South Africa, and Cambodia. With the exception of the Work Australia and Work New Zealand programs, participants must be within six months of their most recent term of study in order to apply for the working holiday visa (this is usually an option for recent graduates only).

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX)
Fellowship program for college-age students and recent graduates throughout the U.S. who want to live, study, and intern in Germany. CBYX is funded by the U.S. and German governments for students in all career fields, and does not require any prior German language knowledge. Applicants in business, engineering, scientific, vocational, technical, and agricultural fields are especially encouraged to apply. Participants spend a year studying and working in their fields while completely immersed in the German language and culture.

Global Experiences
Internships available in Ireland, Italy, Australia, Spain, France and the UK; this site also has information regarding employment and volunteer work abroad.

Go Abroad
Offers information on working, volunteering, interning, or teaching abroad.

Language Corps
This program offers unique, gap-year experiences for recent college graduates who are interested in living in, working in, and learning about a new culture. Program in Southeast Asia and Latin America provide intensive on-site training and TESOL certification, guaranteed paid jobs, local organization, and supportive communities for talented young people interested in travel and teaching abroad..

Skilled Migrant Visa to New Zealand
Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 who have not previously come to New Zealand on a Working Holiday Visa may be eligible to come to New Zealand and work for up to 12 months on this program.

Transitions Abroad
Opportunities to work, teach, or intern abroad. Also includes short-term opportunities, as well as general going abroad information such as living accommodations.

Work & Travel Programs- Interexchange
Offers short term (up to a year) international job opportunities in hospitality jobs, call centers positions, office assistants, childcare, teaching, retail, and manual labor.

Global Vision International
Provides conservation expeditions, volunteer opportunities, wildlife projects and teaching placements around the world.

International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE)
A part of the Association for International Practical Training (AIPT) which is a network of more than 70 countries that coordinates on the job training for university students in the fields of engineering, computer science, mathematics, natural and physical sciences, architecture, and agricultural science.

Volunteering India
Volunteering India provides safe, affordable and meaningful volunteer programs in India. They offer vast variety of programs, cultural exchange programs, internships, gap year programs in India, where volunteers can choose to work in New Delhi, Palampur/Dharamsala and South India including Bangalore, Mysore and more.