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• Gap Year Trips - Fall

Patagonia Gap Year Fall Semester 2012

Meet Your Instructors Lorenzo and Tino

Tino Specht dreamt of applying to New River Academy.  He had a perspective changing experience that senior year in Chile.  So stellar were his video and leadership skills that Tino chose to return as a gap year intern to explore China.  Meet your gap year coach. Tino Specht is one of kayaking’s most impressive young up and coming video producers.

Tino Specht: Gap year Co-leader, Coach, Video Media Instructor, Leadership/Logistics

Video Lesson: Envision having multi-media skills giving you a competitive edge.

This video documentary by Tino is of gap year co-leader Lorenzo Andrade Astorga.  Lorenzo illustrates the Astorga family passion for sacred Chilean rivers. Imagine what Tino and Lorenzo can share with you.

Lorenzo Andrade Astorga: Co-leader, Coach, Spanish Instructor, Leadership/Logistics

Dates: October 18 to December 20

Tuition: $12,800

Read more about Patagonia Gap Year Itinerary.

Enrollment Tip

• Request a Parent Reference- Often veteran parents can explain the dynamics of the program better than we can.
• Request a Space Hold with no financial obligation as you decide.  Sometimes families need time to research the options.  We'll give you a space hold and save your space.

Who chooses to apply to gap year?

It’s more commonly known in Europe, Australia and New Zealand but now Americans are realizing the benefits of a development year off.

• High School graduates interested in taking a productive year off prior to university.
• University students who prefer to defer a semester. You've been in school so long... and your university even has a deferment program to boost your graduation success rate.
• Your in a Leadership program and want to gain some international program management, advance your kayak skills, and even earn the competitive edge with multi-media skills.
• Your graduating from university and are excited to try a program like this before you choose your career.

Above students help catch goats crossing and even falling to the whitewater as they are moved to greener grass in the Andes highlands.

For Parents-

You saved funds for your child’s university education and you always wanted the best for them.  Except now there are all these pressures and distractions.  Do any of the following sound familiar?

• “Mom I don’t know what I want to do (for a career).”  That’s a lot of pressure.
• Your child is simply burnt out on education and needs new inspiration.
• “I just want to kayak.”  We know this one and we also know how to leverage that passion to motivation.
• “I want my freedom.”  Of course.  Understand you can give them freedom and they can learn life-skills and prep for university.

We asked parents what they most wanted in the program and certain themes repeated year after year.  So we listened and designed the program to meet those parent expectations.

• Budgeting Skills
• Communication and Social Awareness
• Leadership and safety
• Quality instruction in the class and on the river

Did you know Pichilemu is the best point break in South America.  It's a great destination for kayakers.  Development kayakers can have fund surfing for the first time.  Freestylers can go for huge aerial moves.  Pichilemu was featured in Patagonia's famous documentary "180 Degrees South."

Academics, Leadership, and Adventure

Academics include the following development areas:

1. Spanish Immersion-  Lorenzo Andrade Astorga will be your Spanish and cultural immersion instructor.  Learning has never been so fun.
2. Video or photo media- Choose one.  The gappers are the social media generation.  The ideal is to teach students how to tell compelling stories with the capacity to evoke emotions.  We treat journalism via photo or video as an art form that provides students with a creative outlet and potential to make immediate revenue.
3. Leadership/Logistics-  Students will be taught budgeting skills, participate in weekly speech night, follow safety protocol, lead on and off the river and plan parts of their trip.
4. Independent Study-  Choose a subject or area of something you have always wanted to learn.  You may choose an English refresher, to learn to play guitar, or to earn college credits via a correspondence course.  You take the course and your instructors implement the structure.

Parent Testimony

“Our son Kevin’s experience was life changing.  It allowed him to mature beyond his years both academically and personally.  We believe the school directly affected his college acceptance and financial aid offers.  The dedicated and talented instructors were excellent role models and kept him on task.  The daily kayaking and living experience with NRA has become a great part of his success in college.  He came out of the program with the ability to plan his workload and effectively accomplish his goals in challenging settings.  We thank you again, and recommend the NRA experience as an academically and financially rewarding choice for alternative learning.”

-Jeff and Lisa Ryan Columbia, South Carolina

View Gap Student Blogs

"David Gorski´s Blog"

David was content with kayak, eat, sleep as a lifestyle.  While, his parents wanted him to attend university they knew they could not force him.  Would gap year actually work for both student and parent?  David's leadership experience gave him new perspectives and the motivation to be successful academically.  He is currently a successful university student.

"Katie Kowalski´s Blog"

It was Katie's parents who agreed she was not mature enough for university.  Father Joe expressed that a year off with proper direction could make all the difference.  Turns out Katie was a brilliant leader tackling logistics and academic challenges as hard as she trained on the river.

"How do we Apply?"

Step 1- Download the Phase I Application. Go over this with your family and begin the process.

Step 2- After you send your Phase I Application we'll process with the goal of sending you an Acceptance Letter.  Congratultions!

Step 3- Next you'll receive instructions regarding how to submit your Phase II Application and Deposit.  Now your officially enrolled.

 

"OK.  We are interested.  How do we learn more?"

First, we're not going to spam you if you call.  We're kayakers... we'd much rather be on the river.  But we'd be happy to answer your questions and help you research a best decision.

Email:  NewRiverGap@gmail.com to learn more.