Challenge 2000 Gap Year students oversee ripper rugby, St Anne’s, Newtown.
WelCom November 2016:
Youth, Schools, Education
Are you leaving college, or are you under 20, and unsure of what to do with your life? Do you long for more meaningful work or study, or for a deeper sense of purpose and belonging? Do you like the idea of different experiences in different places across New Zealand and possibly abroad as you develop skills and discover your deeper self? The Challenge Marist Gap Year might be for you!
Graduate Te Poiakino Hohua Johnstone says the gap year provides young people with the opportunity to explore their interests and realise their potential. And this is exactly what he’s done. One year on from his gap-year experience, which included a placement in Texas, USA, he’s working in schools teaching kapa haka and planning to train as a teacher. He attributes these opportunities to the connections made and confidence gained on his Challenge Marist Gap Year.
Gap-year students complete a certificate in youth work, alongside a placement specific to their interests and aspirations, as well as other training and immersion. These different experiences offer an insight into the richness of our culture, community and church, and the opportunities to engage with this in an empowering and fulfilling way.
Gap graduate Anh-Dao Pham, now working for the Ministry of Social Development, says the gap year ‘offers the unique opportunity to simultaneously serve the community and learn about oneself’. International gap graduate Eliseo Camacho González from Mexico says, ‘It is a chance to learn about self, others and God, and to discover the good in all people across all cultures’. He says, ‘It is one of the best experiences a person could have’.
Spaces are limited, so apply now to join our international, multicultural community of people committed to faith-based social justice and human dignity, and realise your best self!
Contact Kitty McKinley on email challenge2000@xtra.co.nz or phone (04) 477-6827.