Gap Semester in Environmental Leadership

The Gap Semester in Environmental Leadership on the amazing island of Hawaiʻi is an opportunity to immerse yourself in a master class in environmental science, action, and training. Join other like-minded young people on a 70-day adventure like no other.

Environmental Science. 
Environmental Leadership.
Environmental Action.

Make a Difference! Learn about environmental threats and responses while helping our island home:

• Organize and participate in beach cleanups

• Remove invasive species

• Planting Native Hawaiian plants to help restore ecological habitats.

• Utilize social media and creative ecology (art, music, film, photography, literature) to raise public awareness of environmental topics

Island Life! Home for the semester is a house located in the Kaʻū district of Hawaiʻi island. You and your housemates will eat, shop, explore, learn, and care for each other throughout the semester, along with, and led by, your instructors. Each day you will embark on new explorations, engaging in scientific field work, performing community service, and much, much more. 

Explore Hawaiʻi Island to study the environmental challenges that are faced by each unique ecosystem, including coral reefs, shorelines, dryland forests, rainforests, lava fields, and alpine mountains. Enjoy field trips to the various ecosystems provide opportunities to learn and study field science techniques and procedures as you gather data for group and individual projects, some of your own design.

Grow your skills! Learn to:

• Effectively communicate environmental ideas

• Promote environmental ideas through the creative arts

• Understand how science is conducted and evaluated

• Use informal education to promote environmentalism

• Consider the role of indigenous cultures through learning about history and culture of Hawaiʻi

• Understand how sustainable development can affect the future

• Recognize and emulate effective environmental leadership