Calling all adventurers and go-getters. Those who take the path less traveled. Those who want to see the world and make a difference doing it: College isn’t going anywhere, but you can. WorldStrides Gap Year makes it possible to broaden your horizons—all while taking that well-deserved break from school. You’ll be fully immersed in other cultures, visiting 5 countries, earning 12 credits, and returning home even more focused on college, your career, and community.
With WorldStrides Gap Year, you'll visit Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Morocco. The program has three three-week sessions in Athens, Florence, and Seville and each session will earn you 3 credits. Throughout the entire program is another 12-week classe that provides another 3 credits, bringing your total earned credits to 12 through the University of South Florida. At the end of each session, you'll travel with your peers to excursions in Rome, Paris, Fez, and Meknes taking in the sites, culture, food, and adventure that each city has to offer.
Orientation
Fall Term - September 4 - 5, 2023
Spring Term - 2024 Dates Coming Soon
Your WorldStrides Gap Year experience begins with a welcome dinner in Athens, Greece. Get to know your fellow Gap Year participants and become acquainted with your first session surroundings.
Session One - Athens
Fall Term - September 6 - 26, 2023
Spring Term - 2024 Dates Coming Soon
Course: International Migration: Trends, Causes and Impacts3 Credits
This course explores the theme of immigration, combining an anthropological perspective of causes and trends and links those trends with political decisions, policies and governments. By comparing the scenario in Europe and in the USA, students shall gain a general understanding of recent migration trends, causes, and the overall socio-cultural, political and economic impact of these movements. The responses of political bodies to this demographic evolution shall be studied along with the effects of emigration on the countries of origin.
Cultural Excursion - Rome
Fall Term - September 27 - 30, 2023
Spring Term - 2024 Dates Coming Soon
A four-day excursion that offers the best of this ancient city. Students will explore the cobblestone laneways taking in all the sites from the Pantheon to the Trevi Fountain to the Roman Forum and the Spanish Steps. A highlight will be a tour inside the Colosseum. The excursion will feature great Italian food and even a cooking lesson. At the end of the time, students will take a train ride to Florence to begin their next session of the program.
Session Two - Florence
Fall Term - October 1 - 19, 2023
Spring Term - 2024 Dates Coming Soon
Course: The Florence Food and Culture Experience3 Credits
The city of Florence is a veritable mine of food and cultural experiences spanning from the kitchens of the Medici family, to the rustic regional cuisine of Tuscany, to growing rituals such as aperitivo, and high profile restaurants recognized internationally. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the food, street, and culture scenes that set Florence apart from other metropolitan cities, encourage the discussion of the historical influence of its storied past on the food culture of today, and construct a topographical map that indicates the key locations of Florence's thriving gastro-cultural activities.
Cultural Excursion - Paris
Fall Term - October 20 - 23, 2023
Spring Term - 2024 Dates Coming Soon
In this four-day Paris excursion you will see the highlights of the City of Lights. A walking tour will introduce students to the beautiful streetscapes and neighborhoods. The walking tour takes Notre Dame cathedral, the river Seine, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. Students will stroll the Avenue Des Champs-Elysees towards the Arc De Triomphe and climb up the Arch for one of the best views in the city. Other highlights include a tour of the Louvre Museum, the world’s largest museum, and a day trip to the legendary town and gardens of Versailles. It’s a packed four days.
Session Three - Seville
Fall Term - October 24 - November 15, 2023
Spring Term - 2024 Dates Coming Soon
Course: Spanish Art and Cultural Heritage: The Case of Sevilla3 Credits
This course provides an overall view of the art history of Spain from the pre-Roman period to the present, dealing in more detail with the particular socio-cultural and historical realities in which the studied creative manifestations are created. A comprehensive approach is used for a better understanding of the development of art in the peninsula in general and in Sevilla in particular.
Cultural Excursion - Meknes
Fall Term - November 16 - 23, 2023
Spring Term - 2024 Dates Coming Soon
Ride camels to your campsite amidst the sweeping desert landscape of the Sahara. Spend a festive evening under the stars dancing to Moroccan music and feasting on a meal of couscous and roasted meats and vegetables. Rise before dawn to witness the most incredible sunrise as the sun transforms the Sahara into a sea of reds and oranges. During the day ride 4x4s through the desert, stopping to dance to Gnawa music, visit a desert-dwelling family, and hike through a fossil bed.
Next, explore Fes el-Bali, otherwise known as Old Fes, one of the largest and best-preserved medieval cities in the world. Make room for donkeys as you walk among the bustling bazaars and sacred mosques. Drop in on the workshops of a range of local artisans and craftspeople, including herbalists, weavers, potters, and the world-renowned tanners who make the leather goods for which the Medina is most famous.
