Blaze Your Own Trail
Discover a new pre-college gap experience
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Language & Culture
6-week flexible blocks
Immerse yourself in the local scene while improving your fluency in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Arabic.
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Service & Leadership
6-week flexible blocks
Work with a community on global issues, such as sustainable development, children’s rights, or education. Come home with the experience and drive to bring change to your own community.
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Career Exploration
6-week flexible blocks
Discover a field and a career track you’re curious about. Gain insights from professionals and map out your next steps for college and beyond.
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This fall, redefine what a successful pathway to college looks like and design your own gap experience with CIEE. Our new Gap programs are short, flexible and affordable to give you the freedom you need to explore the world and your own interests before you begin college life.
Whether you choose to focus your experience on learning a new language, doing community service, or exploring a career track, all our CIEE programs combine hands-on learning with fun cultural activities and excursions, group workshops and self-reflection, to help you develop a new set of skills and give you the mindset and perspective you need to make the most of your college experience.
Blaze your own trail on a Gap experience that fits your goals and interests. Take off for as little as 6 weeks to a whole semester. Return home with lifelong memories and friends, practical experience, focus and motivation.
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Japanese Language & Culture
Kyoto, Japan
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Global Entrepreneurship
Berlin, Germany
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French Language & Culture
Toulouse, France
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German Language & Culture
Berlin, Germany
Hip, diverse, and student-friendly, Berlin is a beloved hub for international study
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Spanish Language & Culture
Barcelona, Spain
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Spanish Language & Culture
Seville, Spain
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Spanish Language & Argentinian Culture
Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Climate Change Mitigation
Monteverde, Costa Rica
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Youth Mentorship and Intro to Social Work
Yucatan, Mexico
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Leadership Through Mandela's Example
Cape Town, South Africa
Spend six to 12 weeks working on projects that bring Nelson Mandela’s legacy to life
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Wildlife Conservation & Sustainability
Sydney, Australia
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French Language & Culture
Paris, France
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Italian Language & Culture
Rome, Italy
Live, learn and create in one of the world's richest capitals of culture and fine art
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Social Justice Activism
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Get practical, hands-on experience and learn how you can play a role in bringing about social justice reform in a city famous for its canals, coffeehouses and progressive politics.
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Spanish Language & Culture
Madrid, Spain
More About Gap Year

Accreditation
CIEE is accredited by the Gap Year Association. It has demonstrated excellence in the field of gap year education having passed all required standards which are approved by the US Department of Justice.