Make an impact
Make an impact
Gain real-world experience in fields like environmental conversation, public health, education, agriculture, or social enterprise (just to name a few).
Global Citizen Year is an immersive gap year abroad for bold high school grads who are hungry to experience the world and make an impact before college.
Each year we select a diverse cohort of talented Fellows and provide them with opportunities to live and work in Brazil, Ecuador, India, or Senegal during a gap year program before college.
Gain real-world experience in fields like environmental conversation, public health, education, agriculture, or social enterprise (just to name a few).
Experience a new culture through daily life with your host family – celebrate festivals together, learn to cook from your host mom, play pick up soccer with your siblings.
Join a community of extraordinary young people like you from around the world. Forge lifelong friendships through shared adventures and trainings.
Build fluency in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Hindi, Wolof, or other local languages.
Arrive on campus refreshed, focused, and with the advantage of real-world experience.
For interested students, sign up here to learn more about our programs! For educators, visit our educator form to request more information
Fellow / Senegal
— Erik Oline
I turned around to the open arms of my host family (yes, all 23 of them)! The family farm is a little slice of heaven…
Parent / Brazil
— Shih-Hung Shieh
The Fellows mature into intelligent, compassionate, cosmopolitan citizens of the world, able to converse about global issues…
Fellow / Ecuador
— Henry Yeary
I wanted the world to slap me silly, sweep me up like a tornado and crash me down. I needed to live.
Fellow / India
— Indi Nunez
The world does not need us to save it; it needs us to understand it. Perhaps to help is not to give after all, but rather to empower…
Parent / Senegal
— Pam Ricker (Jordan Ricker)
I am so glad my son has had this experience. It has given him more than the acquisition of two new languages…
Fellow / Senegal
— Elise Leise
In a world filled with complex global challenges, I hope to be part of a generation that refuses to give up so easily.