Gap Year Unpaid Opportunities

American Symphony Orchestra League is a one-year program provides recent graduates with practical training in various areas of orchestra management and administration. The program includes three separate assignments with professional orchestras, in-depth orientation into the music industry in New York City, and career counseling. Benefits include a stipend, travel, some relocation expenses paid, and medical insurance is available. The deadline for this program is early November.

The Julliard School's nine-month internships cover two main areas: technical theater or arts administration in New York City. These offer hands-on training in many areas within the school. The program explores different employment opportunities and often reinforces or redirects career goals. Stipend is provided.

Rochester Folk Art Guild have apprenticeships available for people searching for a practical approach to learning and living. Work with experienced master craftspeople in pottery, woodworking, weaving, and glassblowing. You also take part in the daily life of the community. Stipends and scholarships are sometimes available for apprenticeships six months or longer.

Seattle Repertory Theatre's Professional Arts Training Program is a nine month internship program (September-May) for graduating seniors who are looking to transition from academia into the world of professional theatre. Seattle Rep offers internships in the areas of Artistic, Arts Management, Communications, Costume Shop, Design, Education, Production Management, Properties, Scenic Arts (Paints), Stage Management and Technical Production. A small stipend is provided.

The California Capital Fellows Programs are nationally recognized public policy fellowships which offer unique experiences in policy-making and development in each branch of California's state government. Capital Fellows spend 10-11 months as paid, full time employees working in a Legislative, Executive or Judicial Branch office. Capital Fellows are placed at some of the highest levels of California state government and assist state legislators, senior-level executive staff, and court administrators with a broad range of public policy issues and projects and are typically given assignments with a significant amount of responsibility and challenges.

City Year unites young people ages 17 to 24 from diverse economic, racial and geographic backgrounds for a year of full-time service to their communities. During the ten month program, City Year corps members engage in a variety of activities to meet critical needs in their communities. They are primarily focused on the education and development of youth, serving as mentors for children in partnership with public schools and organizing and running after-school programs and curricula on important social issues including domestic violence prevention, AIDS awareness, and diversity. As a corps member, you will commit to a minimum of 1,700 hours of service over a ten month period from late August to the middle of June.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute is a fellowship program for recent graduate or undergraduate students to assist in educating the Hispanic community in the political system, enhancing their leadership skills, and exposing them to policy-related careers. Round trip transportation to Washington, DC, and a monthly stipend is provided.

The Coro Foundation provides a nine month internship involving a series of assignments (four to six weeks in duration) in government, labor, business, community, media, and political settings. Fellows also complete a six week group project and an individual public service project exploring serious public concerns such as housing, economic development, and corporate social responsibility.

Good Shepherd Volunteers have one or two year volunteer programs in human service areas including group/foster homes for adolescents, alternative school, and daycare programs, community centers, and shelters for homeless women.

The Illinois Legislative Studies Internship Program (ILS) is a ten month internship available to research a wide variety of question on public issues for legislators. The information is used to develop programs, support or oppose bills, and aid other legislative activates. A stipend is provided. The deadline for application is early March.

The Milwaukee Community Service Corps (MCSC) is a grassroots organization working to meet the needs of the community through visible and measurable community service. Corps member participants have the opportunity to learn new skills, earn a wage, and serve their community. Corps members renovate vacant homes, plan community gardens, landscape vacant lots, remove graffiti, intern in youth service agencies, perform lead outreach and reduction activities, distribute food, engage in recycling projects, and construct new playgrounds. Terms of service range form three month summer positions to year long, full time slots. MCSC AmeriCorps members also have the opportunity to earn a post-secondary education award that ranges from $1100 to $4725, depending on length of service.

The Ohio Legislative Service Commission have full-time internships assisting members of the Ohio General Assembly with legislative duties including writing news releases and speeches, weekly columns for local newspapers, and researching memos on topics of interest to the legislator. Most participants choose to remain in the public service following internship. Stipend is provided.

The San Francisco Conservation Corps (SFCC) is a non-profit job and academic training organization serving young people ages 18-26. Corps members develop their job and academic skills, leadership abilities, and environmental awareness by completing outreach, conservation and community service projects throughout the city. Simultaneously, they participate in academic programs, environmental and restoration classes, personal and professional development coaching and computer literacy training.

On Volunteer.gov, America's Natural & Cultural Resources Volunteer Portal, you can search for volunteer opportunities throughout the United States based on agency or opportunity type.

The Volunteer Teaching Corps recruits graduates from top colleges and universities. These dedicated women and men come to Chicago to serve for two years as teachers in underserved urban schools. Corps members live together and receive room, board, medical insurance, transportation, and a modest monthly stipend ($150 per month) for personal expenses. The savings created by this simple lifestyle provide scholarships for children in need.

The Andover Teaching Fellowship is a one year program at Phillips Andover Academy (boarding school) in Andover, Massachusetts, providing the recent graduate with an introduction to teaching at the high school level. Students come from all 50 states and foreign countries. A mentor supports each teaching fellow in class preparation and helps evaluate their success. A stipend, medical insurance, housing and meals are provided. The application deadline for this program is March 1.

Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center is a ten month teaching internship in National parks working with elementary students, combining ecology and nature awareness with visual arts, music, theater, verbal expression, integrating multi-cultural studies, environmental problems, and student action using computers for learning and communicating. Stipend, housing and meals are provided. The application deadline is April 1-5.

Student Conservation Association (SCA) is the nation's largest and oldest provider of national community service opportunities in the conservation field, securing positions for students and adults. Volunteers interested in preserving the environment are sought after for programs maintaining our public lands and natural resources. Stipend may be provided.

Urban Adamah is a residential leadership-training program for young adults that integrates urban organic farming, social justice work and progressive Jewish living and learning. Fellows will operate an organic farm and educational center in Berkeley, CA, while interning with community-based social justice organizations addressing issues at the intersection of poverty, food security and environmental stewardship. The Urban Adamah curriculum is designed to equip fellows with the tools to become agents of positive change in their own lives and in their communities. Twelve Urban Adamah fellows will be selected to participate in the inaugural three-month pilot program starting in June, 2011.

If you are 21 or older, passionate about working on social justice issues in an urban environment, interested in doing this work from a uniquely Jewish perspective, excited about living and working with people from different backgrounds, this is a position for you. At AVODAH, you will receive a stipend from your placement agency, which you will use to pay rent, purchase food and take care of your personal living expenses. Upon completion of the program, you will receive a $1,000 exit stipend, and, if you qualify, a voucher from AmeriCorps for $4,725. You can use the voucher to pay off student loans, or you can apply it to tuition payments at any accredited school of higher education. You will live in a house with other participants, where your rent payments will be subsidized by AVODAH.

The Christian Appalachian Project's mission is to “help people help themselves: through education, economic opportunity, employment and a sense of Christian community. Every volunteer is strongly encouraged to do Project Hours, i.e., involvement with church ministries, town community activities, involvement with CAP programs, Hospice Care, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Adult Literacy Tutoring, etc. Project hours are service hours above and beyond your regular forty hours of service and house responsibilities.

Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) volunteers are responsible for their own travel expenses to the orientation site in the region in which they will serve. JVC provides travel from the orientation site to the city where the volunteer will work and transportation to and from retreats during the year. Placement agencies cover costs for housing, utilities, a food stipend, transportation to and from work, medical insurance and transportation home at the end of the year. In addition, volunteers receive a small personal stipend, the amount of which may differ between regions, to use at their own discretion. Some regions ask volunteers to undertake some fundraising efforts before their volunteer year, but acceptance is not conditional on the fundraising. JVC placements require a one-year commitment which begins in the first weeks of August with an orientation and ends the following August. Applicants should be 21 or older and have a college degree or applicable work experience.

Individuals of any age over 21, any background, nationality, sexual orientation, or Christian denomination who are interested in committing to a year of service are encouraged to participate in the Lutheran Volunteer Corps program. Many volunteers are recent college graduates transitioning form college life, and a year of volunteer service provides an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience while preparing to enter the workforce or return to graduate school. Volunteers function as non-paid employees of the agency. Duties vary greatly depending on which agency you work for, but most of the placements involve direct service to clients. You may teach adult learners to read, provide support services to AIDS clients, facilitate skill-building activities for youth or provide helpful services to seniors. Volunteers live together in an intentional Christian community at the Hillstrom House, located in the historical Florence section of northeast Omaha, a neighborhood diverse in income and race.

Mercy Ships is a volunteer program utilizing ocean-going vessels to bring physical and spiritual healing to the poor and needy in port cities.

Volunteer Ministries/ United Church of Christ is a two week to one year or longer program offering domestic and international opportunities for graduates considering faith-based volunteer missionary service. Volunteers can serve in many capacities including emergency shelter facilities, outdoor ministry programs, habitat programs, women's advocacy, organic farming and health advocacy.

Westmoreland Volunteer Corps is a one year Christian volunteer program in the Washington, DC, area working for service or advocacy agencies, providing aid to the homeless, poor, elderly, and runaway youths supported by the local church, the Westmoreland Congregational Church of Christ. Housing, health insurance, food allowance, and personal expense stipends provided. The deadline is March 15.