Short-Term Opportunities & Gap Year

Explore your interests and clarify your goals through meaningful short-term work, service, research, or travel. These experiences are meant to round out your resume and build you as a human being; they are not meant to be long term or permanent.

Short-Term Opportunities

The following experiences can be quite competitive and require the same level of planning as a graduate school or job search. Lewis & Clark has a strong reputation preparing students for these experiences:

AmeriCorps

Opportunities for adults to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national non profit groups. Members address critical needs in communities across America.

Peace Corps

Volunteers serve overseas to work and collaborate with community members on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation.

Fulbright

International exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. Offers grants to study, teach, and conduct research for U.S. students to go abroad.

The JET Programme

International exchange program between Japan and other nations. Participants focus on foreign language education and international exchange activities.

Teach for America

National teacher corps of recent graduates committed to teach in under-resourced urban and rural public schools.

Gap Year

If your plan ends with graduating from college and you want to take time to figure out your next step, another alternative is taking a gap year. A gap year, or time off, is taking about a year after graduation to be involved in a short term job, volunteer or training opportunity. The intent is to have a meaningful experience which helps clarify your interests, skills, values and goals.

Gap Year 
A social network site providing comprehensive information and resources on taking time off.

Road Trip Nation
Devoted to inspiring others to explore their own paths, passions and experiences, “the Roadtrip Nation Movement exists to support, empower, and encourage individuals who want to define their own roads in life.”

Escape Artist
Broad-based resources on living abroad.

Idealist
A comprehensive clearing house for volunteer, internship and job opportunities nationally and internationally with non-profit organizations and NGOs.

Need help? Click here  to schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor.