Enjoy Roommates
Create Intentional Community
Gain Independence
Build Friendships
Manage a Budget
Learn to Prepare Meals
Share Household Duties
Paid Cooperative Work Experience
Explore In-Demand "Opportunity Occupations"
Expand Your Professional Network
Gain Valuable Workplace Skills
Strengthen Work Ethic
Develop Problem-Solving Skills & Resilience
Investigate Industry Credentials, Certificate Programs, Apprenticeships, and Other Short-Term Training Options
Explore Alternatives to the Traditional 4-Year Degree
Get Financially Fit
Set Goals
Challenge Yourself
Plan Weekend Adventures
Explore Northwest Ohio
Develop New Interests & Hobbies
Create Memories
Be Part of a Community
Give Back & Serve
Participate in Fitness & Social Activities
Explore Your Faith
Build Your Tribe
The GapQuest experience is designed as an intentional gap year to acquire work experience, gain independence, build social & professional connections, and to start your financial life on the right track.
Participants will move away from home, be paired with roommates, and live together in a 3-person/3-bedroom furnished apartment near the University of Toledo. Melanie, your on-site Resident Advisor/Program Director, will guide the team through their Quest. Applicants are welcome from any geographical location and will move to Toledo, Ohio from September 2024-July 2025.
A matching process for employment will place participants in a paid, cooperative education job in an entry-level occupation based on interests and aptitudes. The focus of the employment experience is to build professional connections, develop resilience & work ethic, and to remain with one employer for the whole 11 months.
The Quest will consist of 32 hours per week of work, with one afternoon per week dedicated to guided team & Individual professional development activities. There will be unstructured time for playing and exploring and building a positive work-life balance.
The GapQuest: Gap Year Experience includes the 4 components: Live, Work, Learn & Play.
Our "GapQuest GPS" system provides the right balance of structure and independence. The roadmap to success is filled with plenty of one-on-one and group guidance while allowing for freedom and choice to design a gap year that meets your individual goals. We believe that motivation is best fostered through meeting the three fundamental human needs of:
1) Autonomy (Independence)
2) Relatedness (Connection)
3) Competence (Mastery)
When people feel connected to a group, have control over their choices, and learn to master skills in a supportive environment, they are most motivated to reach their goals and find a sense of purpose. Our GPS system is based on the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation by Deci & Ryan.
Contact melanie@gapquest.org for more information
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