Location
Multiple Locations +3
  • Uganda
  • Tanzania
  • Kenya
Length
4 - 26 weeks
Need-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility, BIPOC funding

Program Details

Activities
Animal Viewing Bird Watching Boating Camping City Exploring Farming Hiking Rafting Remote Exploring Safari Sailing Sightseeing Snorkeling Swimming
Timeframe
Fall
Housing
Guesthouse Host Family Hostel Hotel Tent
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
17
Age Max
20

Pricing

Starting Price
16000
Price Details
Program tuition includes accommodations, transportation, food and activities once participants are in-country. International airfare is additional.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Some Equipment Meals Park Fees Tour Guide
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
May 18, 2023
Nov 13, 2022
50 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

The East Africa gap year program explores the majesty, cultures, and challenges of three East African nations: Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. We take advantage of our unparalleled access and gain a unique education on this fascinating expanse of Africa. Shadowing a peer at Kenya’s first free all-female secondary school, we are inspired by the strength and passion of the next generation. Tromping through the equatorial rainforest with wildlife biologists, surveying habitat for endangered species, we witness the environmental struggle. Shadowing nurses in a rural health clinic in Tanzania, we gain a unique insight into access to health care for these Maasai communities. Building solar panels alongside local community members, we understand how important this renewable resource is for the families we are working with. Witnessing a family of elephants trek through the savanna of the Maasai Mara at sunrise, we experience one of life’s unforgettable moments.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

ARCC Programs believes that social responsibility is an essential aspect of our programming and business operations. We strongly believe that cultural immersion, cross-cultural conversations, and reflection on these experiences can increase self-awareness, promote empathy, and foster growth. We recognize that our staff, student, and participant body is not as diverse as we would hope. We also recognize that there are inherent imbalances in access, particularly when it comes to international travel and outdoor experiences. Recognizing the current imbalances and accessibility issues within the world and more specifically within experiential/outdoor education/gap year programs, we are able to move towards a more just and inclusive world.

ARCC is committed to increasing accessibility for our programs and supporting socioeconomic diversity within our community. ARCC’s Voyagers Scholarship provides up to five scholarship opportunities per semester to students who identify within the BIPOC community. These scholarships can range anywhere from $5,000-$8,000, and also includes gear lending and mentorship support throughout the gap year experience. The Voyagers Scholarship can also be combined with ARCC Financial Aid. If you are interested in applying, please reach out to gap@arccprograms.com.

LGBTQIA+ Support

ARCC Programs believes that social responsibility is an essential aspect of our programming and business operations. We strongly believe that cultural immersion, cross-cultural conversations, and reflection on these experiences can increase self-awareness, promote empathy, and foster growth. We recognize that our staff, student, and participant body is not as diverse as we would hope. We also recognize that there are inherent imbalances in access, particularly when it comes to international travel and outdoor experiences. Recognizing the current imbalances and accessibility issues within the world and more specifically within experiential/outdoor education/gap year programs, we are able to move towards a more just and inclusive world.

Neurodivergent Support

Our Essential Eligibility Criteria outlines the requirements for participation in our programs to determine if our programs are a good fit for each student. While ARCC Gap is not a therapeutic program, we do provide an inclusive environment for students with neurodivergence. We have had students with various diagnosed neuro-differences (such as dyslexia, ADHD, ASD, TS, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, etc) find success on our gap semester programs.

During our interview process, we have open communication with students and families about the support ARCC instructors are able to provide students while on program. For students needing some additional support, we ask them to complete a “Plan of Action” with their at home support system. These plans may include additional information about communication/support preferences, coping strategies, and/or specific requirements to encourage the student to engage with the program effectively. Once on the program, our instructors will periodically check in individually with each student, help the student stay accountable to their Plan of Action, and provide general support to all participants.

Accessibility Support

ARCC Gap Travels to locations around the world that have varying levels of accommodations for students needing accessibility support. For this reason, please see our Essential Eligibility Criteria to see if our gap programs are a good fit for you.

Whenever possible (determined by specific location and program - ie. infrastructure, access to specific health care facilities, dietary options available, etc), we have successfully assisted students with anaphylactic allergies, chronic medical conditions, and other accommodations on programs. We recommend that you reach out with specific concerns to your Gap Director to find the right fit for you.

Impact

Sustainability

At ARCC Programs we recognize that all human action impacts our physical environment and the living beings on the planet. Everything on Earth plays a role in supporting life and we believe that it is our responsibility to have a net positive impact with our actions. We strive to balance the impacts of our programming by partnering with communities and organizations with similar goals toward bettering our planet for future generations.

Ethical Impact

ARCC believes that we (as an industry) need to shift the way we think about international service. We (as a society) have now come to realize that international volunteers often benefit from their service experience, while the impact on the community can be short-lived or even harmful. We at ARCC are taking the years of experience that we have in the international service learning realm, have reflected on previous mistakes, learned from our in-country partners, and have made changes. Our goal is to live, work, and learn alongside community members while also making a positive impact. We are committed to partnering with local community-driven organizations to focus on reciprocity while contributing to established long-term projects. It is our responsibility to engage in mutually beneficial community-driven projects and teach fair trade learning principles to our students.

Program Highlights

  • Work at a Rhino Sanctuary and Witness the Efforts in Place to Protect Africa’s Sacred Animals
  • Whitewater Raft the Exhilarating Nile River
  • Construct and Install Solar Power Systems into Rural Tanzanian Homes
  • Shadow Nurses in a Maasai Health Clinic to Compare Traditional and Contemporary Medicine
  • Study Education by Living with Students at East Africa’s First Free All-Female Secondary School

Scholarships

ARCC Gap Financial Support

A gap year is something that we hope to make accessible for all students and ARCC works to level the playing field so that all applicants may have a successful opportunity for education, travel, growth, and self-discovery post-high school. We strive to uphold these pillars of our organization through a variety of means. Each year ARCC Gap awards financial aid to support students who would otherwise be unable to cover the full cost of tuition. Additionally, ARCC is committed to increasing accessibility for our programs and supporting socioeconomic diversity within our community. ARCC’s Voyagers Scholarship provides up to five scholarship opportunities per semester to students who identify within the BIPOC community. These scholarships can range anywhere from $5,000-$8,000, and also includes gear lending and mentorship support throughout the gap year experience. The Voyagers Scholarship can also be combined with ARCC Financial Aid

Program Reviews

4.93 Rating
based on 30 reviews
  • 5 rating 93.33%
  • 4 rating 6.67%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.8
  • Support 4.9
  • Fun 4.95
  • Value 4.9
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 1 - 8 of 30 reviews
Default avatar
Tashi
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

ARCC East Africa Fall Semester

The East Africa semester was incredible. I was so grateful for the opportunity to experience a culture so vastly different from my own. I was especially excited and passionate about the service work we did, mainly the solar project and the rhino sanctuary. I wish we could have spent more time doing both. I would recommend this ARCC semester to any high school or college student. East Africa was a place I knew little about prior to this semester, and I feel much more well informed on the three countries (Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania) that we spent time in.

Pros
  • Terrific cultural immersion
  • A couple really unique service projects
  • A wide variety of places visited, lots of different landscapes
Cons
  • The food was often bland, and nutritionally poor
  • I thought the group size was slightly too big, would have preferred around 7 students or so.
  • Group living is exhausting, not a lot of solo time on this semester.
78 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Matt
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

East Africa fall 2022

This experience was fantastic. You get to experience a much different culture and perspectives than that of western culture. Got to do many fun activities such as rafting down the Nile, swimming at the base of kilimanjaro, going to live dance and music shows. You also feel rewarded when doing community work as it feels like you are actually making an impact. The best example of this was installing solar panels for the Maasai who previously had no access to power. Overall I would recommend this program to anyone looking to grow and get out of there comfort zone.

Pros
  • The locals are so nice
  • Great leader in hailey
  • Fantastic landscapes
Cons
  • Tenting a lot
76 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Josephine
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

East Africa Semester

This semester was one of the most culturally immersive and life changing experience. The experiences with our homestays in each country really put the us, the students, in the real lives of locals. Staying with them for a couple of days was such an enriching time in the trip and we learned so much. Living as a group was a challenge at times but it allowed me to grow and find confidence and independence as well. The most influential part was staying at Daraja Academy, an all girls school in Kenya.

Pros
  • Experiencing and being immersed in East Africa's culture
  • Learning about different countries and meeting new people from a another continent.
  • Meeting people from all over and building connections with them.
Cons
  • Troubles with group dynamics sometimes.
77 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Caroline
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

East Africa

This is the greatest thing I have ever done in my life. Going into it I was hella scared taking a different path but I have absolutely no regrets. I loved all the people even though we had to work through some disputes. I had never traveled with a group like this before and I think this was such an awesome way to kick it off. Everything I saw and did, (scenery and service projects) will stick with me forever. I gained a whole new perspective on life/myself. My leader Hailey had the biggest impact.

Pros
  • Made life long friendships
  • Emerging myself in a whole new lifestyle
  • Grew as person and learned about myself
Cons
  • Ran into some girl drama
  • I gained lots of weight
78 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Lindsey
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

East Africa

My instructor was amazing. The perfect balance of supportive, wise, and mentor like while also being so fun. the program was amazing I learned so much both about myself and the world. The group was made up of some really cool and down to earth individuals. There was very little alone time everything was done together which had its pros and cons. All of the activities and projects were super impactful especially the solar project and spending time at Daraja the all girls secondary school. Overall and amazing experience

Cons
  • Not much alone time
78 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Adelaide
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Semester Program!

I went on the East Africa fall semester in 2018, and it was the best three months! I chose to go to East Africa because I wanted to experience a new culture. I remember feeling so scared before leaving my home in Denver, Colorado to embark on this adventure. But after meeting my group during orientation, and getting to know them a little bit, I felt a new sense of comfort. Once I was on the plane that took us to Uganda, I already felt comfortable around my group and my two leaders. Every single one of us came from a different state (and two students from other countries), yet we became so connected on the trip. We traveled together, shared every meal together, and shared so many experiences. I kept a journal everyday and still fondly read it when I miss my group and time in East Africa. I have now been in college for one complete semester, and I still keep in touch with my group! Between our busy schedules we try and connect when possible, often exchanging memories about how we miss chapati (a delicious bread), our host families, and the beloved truck we drove around in. In college, I can positively say that ARCC provided me with a fresh prospective in my classes, and made me more comfortable with making a place that is not my house my home. I cannot recommend this experience enough!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
My most nerve racking moment was being sick while staying in tents in rural Tanzania. I felt worried because I was sick in a foreign country with limited access to doctors, or the comfort of a bed. I overcame this with the support of my group and competency of my leaders. When somebody in the group was sick, everybody else worked together to help them feel better. The leaders were also extremely attentive to our specific health (both mental and physical) needs. We were a team and a family. This extreme sense of love and empathy from my group got me through my time when I felt sick.
113 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sophia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best decision I've ever made

I can't even begin to describe how much I loved my ARCC Semester in East Africa. It honestly changed my life, and whenever people ask how it was, my immediate response is "if I could get on a plane right now and go back, I would. No question about it", even after I tell them about bucket showers, pit toilets, wet tents, and the malaria concern. If I could spend the rest of my life working for ARCC and being able to travel and share these amazing experiences with students, and change their lives and perspectives like Chris and Adri did for me, I would be the happiest girl in the world. I met a best friend who brought out new sides of me, a boy I want to spend the rest of my life with, and an unbreakable bond with 11 amazing people. I never felt homesick, which in itself says a lot about the group, even when I was super sick. In fact, I feel more homesick being back home, away from everyone. I'm getting emotional writing this, there is simply no way to possibly describe this experience in words, besides amazing.

What would you improve about this program?
We were under the impression we'd have wifi a bit more often, so some of us were not prepared to have to activate an international plan until we were there. I can't really think of anything to improve, everything was amazing, even the hard times.
112 people found this review helpful.
Read my full story
Default avatar
Caroline
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Caroline

Absolutely incredible and life-long enriching experience. The nature and landscapes are stunning - and I am so glad I got the privilege and opportuntity to widen my horizon by travelling to a world so different to ours (Europe). My two leaders were so supportive, them and my group turned some challenges into wonderful experiences. I also went through alot of personal growth in these 3 months and had many insights through being so far away from home, which is also why I would recommend this trip so much!

113 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers