MASCA
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
Gap Year: Another Way to Learn
VOL. 49, NO. 6
Happy National School Counseling Week By JENNIFER LISK, MASCA President
By DONNA BROWN MASCA Executive Director
O
ver the holiday, my friend Ann visited from Scotland. While she was here, we reminisced about the fall her son Keith had spent with us and attended Silver Lake. Keith had done really well on his A-level exams and had secured a place at the University of Edinburgh. Like many of his Scottish classmates, he decided to postpone going to university, opting to take a gap year that included attending senior year in the U.S., working, learning Japanese, and growing up. The following September, Keith entered the University of Edinburgh, remaining there until he earned his Ph.D. Gap years have long been a common occurrence for students in Europe and Australia, but are just now catching on in the U.S. The American Gap Association defines a gap year as “a structured period of time when students take a break from formal education to increase selfawareness, learn from different cultures, and experiment with possible careers.” Until recently, parents were very leery of having a child take a year off before going to college. Many voiced concerns that the student would never complete his/her education. Others feared that a year “off” would be viewed negatively by admissions offices. Recent data indicates that about 90% of gap year students enter college, have higher GPA’s, and graduate in greater numbers than students who went directly to college. Over the past ten years, a number of companies have started offering formal gap year programs running from a few weeks to an entire academic year. Other services help students navigate foreign applications or find appropriate placements. In some cases, the student finds (continued on page 11)
FEBRUARY 2013
JENNIFER LISK
T
his year, National School Counseling Week is being celebrated from February 4-8, and the theme is School Counseling: Liberty and Learning for All. This week is a perfect opportunity to celebrate what we do on a daily basis. Do you promote the freedom for your students to be who they are and provide a safe climate for them? I am sure you do. Are you promoting learning for all students, regardless of their backgrounds, disabilities or gifts? I am sure you are. This theme seems particularly appropriate to me in highlighting what counselors do best.
Take some time to showcase what you do as a counselor to those within your school and community. Maybe you have earned a MARC or MARC Jr. award and should show it off. Maybe you have standards-based lessons that are designed to meet the needs of your school population. Maybe you take that extra minute, so the students know you care, although it cannot be quantified by standards. Then take some time for your own professional development. I hope to see many of you at the Spring Conference in Hyannis in April. If not, try a webinar or a workshop in an area that you want to learn more about. Give yourself a few minutes to read something from that pile — the one that you’ll get to later. Part of the beauty of being a school counselor is the ever-changing landscape and ability to keep learning from each other and our students. I wish you a Happy National School Counseling Week, and I hope that includes both time for your students and time for you. ■
23rd Annual Professional Day for Guidance Counselors and Administrators Sponsored by The Guidance Administrators Forum, an affiliate of MASCA
Taking Care of the Caretakers: Surviving and Thriving in Challenging Times Friday, March 8, 2013 Regis College, Weston • 8:30 am – 1:30 pm Keynoter: Robert Evans, Ed.D. For more information and the registration form, go to www.masca.org.