Recent Graduates and Gap Year Students

Gap years are taken by people between school and college or between university and that all important first step on the career ladder. They offer a chance for younger people to evaluate what is important to them, helping them make better life decisions, or to develop new skills and broaden their horizons.

Increasing numbers of people combine gap years with world travel and the best way to incorporate adventure travel with personal development is to volunteer abroad in new and challenging environments.  iSPiiCE volunteering programs offer the opportunity to meet with people from a mix of cultures and backgrounds and most gap year students take up programs from 8-12 weeks in duration to get the most from the learning opportunity.

If you are considering combining a volunteering trip with independent travel in India we recommend you start off with volunteering.  iSPiiCE will meet you at the airport and during your program you will gain a deeper understanding of Indian culture, customs and language than if you were to ‘go it alone'. This will further enrich your independent travel experience and you may meet others on the iSPiiCE program who are also travelling after and who would be happy for the company.  Perhaps you could focus independent travel in the South of India.  The iSPiiCE program includes a visit to the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh, the Golden Temple in Punjab and volunteer work and Himalayan trekking in Himachal Pradesh, all in north India.  

Meet a recently graduated iSPiiCE Volunteer

"After finishing university I knew that I wanted to experience a totally different culture before being locked into a job, and was keen to volunteer. Searching on the internet, I came across iSPiiCE, and I am so glad I took the plunge and booked my 8 weeks in India. There is nothing I would change about my time from the location - Dharamsala is such a beautiful place, the amazing food (courtesy of Neeraj!), the staff who made camp feel like home, and most of all the people I was working with. During my time I was able to work in a day care centre, in a government run school, a private school, and take a ladies computer class. The ladies in Fethapur really made all the difference to me. I felt welcomed into the community and met some of the most amazing, generous and loving people I have ever come across. I was lucky enough to spend time with one of my student's family learning about yoga, and travel with them to spend four days in an Ashram in Punjab. I also spent several lovely evenings at the homes of my other computer lady students. What really struck me was their continuously positive attitude and their kind hearted nature. The trips included in the programme were amazing - the Golden Temple is breathtakingly beautiful, and the atmosphere at the border ceremony cannot be put into words. The local area is also easy to explore - McLeod Ganj is a little Tibetan world totally different to the rest of India, and the buses are easy to navigate at the weekend. The only down side of my trip was saying goodbye. I would highly recommend iSPiiCE to anyone considering volunteering in India - especially those travelling alone or nervous about visiting such a different country! I can guarantee you will be well looked after and have the time of your life, as well as have a positive impact on a community in need of a helping hand. I am itching to get back and am already planning my next trip!"

Laura McClellan - Geography Graduate, June 2010