{"id":17731,"date":"2017-07-25T09:13:03","date_gmt":"2017-07-25T14:13:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/?page_id=17731"},"modified":"2025-09-04T09:02:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T14:02:47","slug":"gap-year-and-service-programs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/find-jobs-post-graduate-opportunities\/gap-year-and-service-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"Gap Year and Service Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-modular-content-collection>\n<p>Each year, up to 10% of St. Olaf graduates participate in service programs. These programs provide opportunities to explore career interests, develop leadership skills, travel and help strengthen communities as part of a one or two year commitment.&nbsp;Positions can be found in social services, education, environmental sustainability, public health, public policy, and community development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Domestic Opportunities<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>AmeriCorps&nbsp;\u2013 Includes thousands of one-year service opportunities across the country. Application cycles and competitiveness vary by specific program.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/my.americorps.gov\/mp\/listing\/publicRequestSearch.do\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AmeriCorps Advanced Search<\/a>&nbsp;(only includes positions that are actively seeking applicants).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/americorpsstatenational\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AmeriCorps State\/National<\/a>&nbsp;(direct service) \u2014 &nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/americorps-national-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National programs<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.serveminnesota.org\/programs\" target=\"_blank\">MN programs<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nationalservice.gov\/about\/contact-us\/state-service-commissions\" target=\"_blank\">programs sponsored by&nbsp;other states<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/americorpsvista\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AmeriCorps VISTA<\/a>&nbsp;(indirect service\/capacity-building) \u2014 &nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/americorpsvista-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">popular VISTA programs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americorps.gov\/serve\/fit-finder\/americorps-nccc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps)<\/a> \u2014 traveling, team-based service program requiring a 10-11 month commitment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/domestic-faith-based-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Faith-based Programs<\/a>&nbsp;(Lutheran Volunteer Corps, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Urban Servant Corps, etc.) \u2013 Programs typically require community living and encourage intentional reflection on values such as service, social justice, sustainability, and spirituality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.teachforamerica.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Teach for America<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 Members are hired as full-time, first year teachers in under-resourced schools throughout the country, and receive full teacher\u2019s salary.&nbsp; Two-year teaching commitment. Most participants earn teacher certification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/alternative-routes-to-teaching-certification\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alternative Routes to Teaching Certification Programs<\/a>&nbsp;\u2014 State-defined routes through which an individual who already has at least a bachelor\u2019s degree can obtain certification to teach without necessarily having to participate in a campus-based certification program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Organizing Training Programs\/Jobs\u00a0\u2014 paid, one or two-year full-immersion training programs in grassroots or community-based organizing. Includes programs such as\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.greencorps.org\/job.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Green Corps<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/changecorps.org\/job.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Change Corps<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thedartcenter.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Direct Action &amp; Research Training Center (DART)<\/a>,\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/yourimpact.org.au\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IMPACT<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">International Opportunities<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.peacecorps.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Peace Corps<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 Volunteers serve for two years (plus three months of training) in over 70 countries. St. Olaf has an outstanding record of preparing students for the Peace Corps. Recruiters visit campus usually once each semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/teaching-english-abroad\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Teaching English Abroad<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 Hundreds of opportunities to teach English in another country. Compensation ranges from full salary in developed countries to living expenses only in less developed countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/international-long-term-partially-to-fully-funded-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Long-term International Volunteer Programs<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 Variety of programs, faith-based and secular, that provide partial or full funding for living expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Reach out to Zoe Davis in the Piper Center at <a href=\"mailto:davis44@stolaf.edu\">davis44@stolaf.edu<\/a> with questions. There are many exciting gap year opportunities, so it can be helpful to chat with a Piper Center coach to help discern which program(s) might be right for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\tclass=\"site-section site-panel__faculty_staff panel panel-faculty_staff site-section__bg--default\"\n\t\t\tdata-depth=\"\"\n\t\t\tdata-js-panel=\"faculty-staff\"\n\t\t>\n\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"site-section__inner l-wrapper  faculty-staff\">\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t<div class=\"site-section__content\">\n\t\t<div class=\"site-grid\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"site-grid__col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"site-grid__col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<article class=\"c-faculty c-faculty--full\">\n\t<div class=\"c-faculty__img\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stolaf.edu\/stofaces\/face.cfm?username=davis44&#038;v=04138DF&#038;fullsize\" alt=\"Zoe N Davis\" \/>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"site-grid__col c-faculty__info\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"c-faculty__name h3\">\n\t\t\tZoe N Davis\n\t\t\t<template data-size=\"24px\" data-email=\"davis44@stolaf.edu\" data-sto-pronunciation><\/template>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-faculty__pronouns\">(she, her, hers)<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"site-grid__wrapper c-faculty__detail\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"c-faculty__title site-grid__col\">Assistant Director, Career Development and Coaching<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"c-faculty__contact site-grid__col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"c-faculty__contact-group\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"c-faculty__contact-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-faculty__icon icon icon-location\"><\/span><span class=\"c-faculty__location\">Tomson Hall 270H<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"c-faculty__contact-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-letter\">P<\/span><span class=\"c-faculty__ext\">507-786-3625<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"c-faculty__contact-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-letter\">E<\/span><a class=\"c-faculty__email\" href=\"mailto:davis44@stolaf.edu\">davis44@stolaf.edu<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"c-faculty__contact-item c-faculty__hours\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOffice Hours: By Appointment Mon-Fri&#x3b; Drop In Mondays &amp; Fridays, 3-5 pm <a rel='nofollower noreferrer' href='https&#x3a;&#x2f;&#x2f;wp.stolaf.edu&#x2f;pipercenter&#x2f;handshake&#x2f;'>Schedule an Appointment HERE<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"btn btn--grey btn--xs c-faculty__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stolaf.edu\/profile\/davis44\">View Profile \u2192<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<ul class=\"list-unstyled c-faculty__departments\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a class=\"c-faculty__department\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stolaf.edu\/directory\/search?department=Piper+Center+for+Vocation+and+Career\">Piper Center for Vocation and Career<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<script defer async src=\"https:\/\/www.stolaf.edu\/stofaces\/name.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Each year, up to 10% of St. Olaf graduates participate in service programs. These programs provide opportunities to explore career interests, develop leadership skills, travel and help strengthen communities as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2555,"featured_media":0,"parent":17091,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-17731","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2555"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17731"}],"version-history":[{"count":58,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49153,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17731\/revisions\/49153"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}