Hawaii Gap Semester | Pacific Discovery

Name: Hawaii Gap Semester | Pacific Discovery
Brand: Pacific Discovery
SKU: 264023
Rating: 4.67 (21 reviews)

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4.67 Rating

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Location

United States of America
- Hawaii

Length

2 - 12 weeks

Program Tags

Adventure Travel After College College Credit Conservation Cultural Immersion Hands-On Learning Post-High School Study Abroad Volunteer Abroad Wilderness Yoga Retreats +1

Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility, BIPOC funding

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Activities

Backpacking Sightseeing Surfing

Timeframe

Fall Spring Summer

Housing

Hostel Lodge

Primary Language

English

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

Starting Price

15495

Price Details

All in-country land transport and travel (not flights); All accommodation; 3 meals a day (excluding snacks); All activities, excursions, entry fees and adventure travel as described in the itinerary; Service learning projects in conservation and community development; Informal lectures from resident experts on history, culture, development issues; Experienced Pacific Discovery Program Instructors and local guides; Online image library for your program.

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Equipment Meals Transportation

What's Not Included

Airfare Travel Insurance

Last Updated: Apr 30, 2023

Last Reviewed: Aug 12, 2022

Wish List

62 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Experience epic surf, golden beaches, the aloha spirit, rewarding volunteer projects and active volcanoes on this gap year program in Hawaii!
There is an endless list of things to do in Hawaii. From learning to smash open coconuts, mastering the Hawaiian language and making beautiful leis, to stargazing on top of a dormant volcano and heading out to one of only four green sand beaches in the world. Immerse yourself in Hawaiian culture as you discover its fascinating ocean and mountain landscape and explore the incredible jungle, volcanoes, and beaches.

This program is no longer offered. View more programs from Pacific Discovery.

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Diversity & Inclusion

We understand that we have a long way to go in achieving the diversity we strive for among our students, staff, and partners. We are committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive organization, and we recognize that this requires time, effort, and resources. At Pacific Discovery, we deeply value diversity, equity, and social justice, and we are dedicated to creating educational experiences that reflect and promote these values. Our program curriculum incorporates social justice education and encourages students to explore their own identities. To further support these efforts, we offer a 'Diverse Voices' Scholarship.

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All of our Pacific Discovery programs are LGBTQIA+ friendly, and our operations team have attended CIS Abroad's LGBTQ+ Allyship Training, to ensure we’re doing what we can to support this community. We provide an open and non judgemental space for students to explore who they are at this pivotal time of their life, and in our admissions process we seek information not only on a student's gender, but their pronouns and gender identity. We’re aware of the differing cultural perspectives of LQBTQIA in the countries that we visit, and can direct students to a semester location where they’ll feel the most comfortable. Operationally we ensure that our instructors use inclusive language and can facilitate conversations with students around their identity, and discuss the rooming situations with LGBTQIA+ students.

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Our programs are designed to support students with a wide range of neurodiverse conditions while following our essential eligibility criteria. For students needing extra help, we provide personalized wellness plans . These plans include coping strategies, care protocols, and specific requirements to help them engage effectively in the program. Our instructors have access to mental health first aid resources and are well-prepared to offer strong support to students with these needs.

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Our programs offer a variety of physical activities, including hiking, surfing, rafting, and mountain biking. We make sure to accommodate students with diverse needs such as asthma, diabetes, and chronic medical conditions, while working within the infrastructure of the host country and our program schedules. We're mindful of the varying levels of accessibility in the countries we visit and can help students choose a semester location where they feel most at ease.

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Impact

Sustainability is one of the 6 core components of each Pacific Discovery program, where we educate students about the local and global environmental issues, how to travel sustainably, and have them think deeply about their impact and what they can do in their daily lives to affect change.

We recently embarked on a Net Positive Benefit project where we are qualifying what impacts our groups have on the local communities, taking into consideration carbon emissions +/- social impacts +/- conservation impacts +/- community impacts. On our programs, students engage with non-profit organisations such as Litter Intelligence, Scholars of Sustenance, Ulu Mau puanui, Llama Pack project where they directly work for a better future - planting trees, eradicating invasive weed species, helping local communities and food banks.

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We make a conscious decision to partner with host communities and suppliers who are passionate about our students' participation and involvement with them being of a positive benefit to the community. We want our presence to enable positive sustainable growth for our partners and this mantra is ingrained in the fabric of our programs.

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Program Highlights

Immerse yourself in Hawaiian culture learning Hula, native food making and the heritage and history of Hawaii from local residents
Surf lessons based in Oahu
Learn about conservation and sustainable living from a local non-profit
Hike through Volcano National Park and watch the lava glow from a crater after sunset
Snorkel with majestic manta rays in the reefs of Kona

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Immerse yourself in Hawaiian culture for 4 weeks. Discover Hawaii’s fascinating ocean and mountain landscape and explore incredible jungles, volcanoes and beaches. Gain skills with lessons in sustainability, conservation, and the environment as well as hiking, surfing, and snorkeling. Join us for a journey in Hawaii and an inspiring summer of exploration!

Hawaii Mini Semester | 6 weeks

This 6-week mini semester program offers you an enriching and inspiring experience in tropical Hawaii. Hawaii consists of eight islands, which are all unique in their own way. Your days will be as varied as the islands you visit, with a fusion of hands-on volunteer work, surfing, snorkeling, cultural immersion and, of course, non-stop adventure!

Program Reviews

4.67 Rating

based on 21 reviews

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Rating Spread Gap Year

5 rating 76.19%
4 rating 19.05%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 4.76%
1 rating 0%

Housing 4.35
Support 4.65
Fun 4.75
Value 4.65
Safety 4.55

Good for Students, Adventure travelers

Showing 9 - 16 of 21 reviews

This program provided tons of opportunity for growth. The activities were fun and the hikes were awesome. I loved mountain biking, skiing, surfing, going to the beach, and doing yoga. The most valuable part of the program for me was most definitely the relationships that I created while I was here. We shared tons of funny, memorable, and amazing moments together on the trip. I’m going to miss traveling around with this goofy bunch of people and seeing all the beautiful places of the country. Was hungry a lot though.

What would you improve about this program?

Something that would massively improve this program is less phone use.

Pacific Discovery helped me learn a lot about myself and pushed me past my comfort zone. I discovered so many new activities that I loved doing and am looking forward to continue doing. There were so many different things I was tentative about, but kept an open mind and ending up loving! I was exposed to so many new cultures and ideas that allowed me to learn so much about myself and others. I made such great friends and memories! I am so glad I came on this trip and was able to have the experience I did!

Before this program, I had never lived without a permanent home. I got very used to that during this program, and it definitely has an allure to it. When you have a bus and enough money to live fairly comfortably while still having a budget for activities, you get a feeling of freedom. We hiked and skiid, snowshoed, and mountainbiked, while still having a good amount of freedom an time to explore on our own. I would recommend coming in with an open mind and a willingness to open yourself to others. In a small group, it’s ideal to be friendly with everyone.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?

The most unfamiliar thing to me was basically living out of a bus for 70 days. But it’s not an experience I would trade for anything, because it came with a sens of freedom.

I had a great time on the Pacific Discovery Western United States trip. I had so much fun throughout the trip and learned so much not only about myself but the environment and the places we visited. I made new friends that will last a lifetime. We got to try a wide variety of activities, from rock climbing in Arizona, to paddle board yoga in Utah, or snow shoeing in Wyoming. I highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking for a fun adventure and wants to get out of their comfort zone and try something new!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

The most nerve-racking moment was when we were rock climbing. I was way outside of my comfort zone but I felt so supported by my group who helped me by singing Taylor Swift to me.

Overall I had an amazing experience with Pacific Discovery! I met people that I know I will be friends with for a lifetime and saw some amazing places. I’ve learned so much about myself and grown as a person. I’m more empathetic, accepting, and open minded. We got to see so many national parks and monuments which I can now check off my bucket list! My favorite part was probably the hike in Bryce Canyon, it was absolutely gorgeous and a landscape unlike anything I had ever seen. I would for sure reccomend to anyone who wants to explore and get out of their comfort zone!

What would you improve about this program?

I’d add in optional ski days! We added a few in and they were for sure some of my favorite parts of the trip!

The social scene is really cool. You’ll meet a lot of new people and have a lot of fun. All of the places we went were really interesting and fun to explore. The pre trip planning and materials weren’t that helpful and it seemed like we stayed in some weird places not close to anything but overall it was fine. A lot of the fun I had was not because of planned excursions but instead because of spending time with friends and just hanging out and talking about life late at night. The instructors were fun.

What was your funniest moment?

Arcosanti. It is a fantasticly mysterious place..

I had an amazing experience on the Pacific Discovery Western United States Spring 2021 Gap Semester Program. I saw some amazing parts of the country which I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. Participated in fun outdoor adventure activities which were new to me. Met some amazing like-minded students who will remain close friends for a long time. Learned a lot about sustainability, new cultures and environments and my role/contributions to these places or communities. Matured and grew immensely, discovering a lot about myself and others.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

I would advise future travelers on this program to always have a positive attitude, because it makes every activity more fun and to make sure they really get to know their groupmates because you’ll regret not talking to them more by the end.

If you’re on the the fence about taking a Pacific Discovery gap semester, go for it. My group bonded from the moment we met eachother and my instructors, Kim and Chris, are part of the family we created here. I’ve built an incredible support system for myself here with the support of my instructors and peers. I honestly never want to leave. Even the challenges we do are fun because they bring us closer together. It’s an opportunity to share amazing experiences with lifelong friends and I’m so happy I came here.

What was your funniest moment?

Playing sardines in a giant old plantation home. There were lots of good hiding places.

Questions & Answers

About Pacific Discovery

Pacific Discovery gap year, semester and summer programs are experiential education programs suitable for high school graduates, university students and recent graduates. They were developed with a focus on six core components: educational travel, service learning, cultural and language immersion, sustainable adventure travel, outdoors and...