Discover Your Identity. Activate Your Purpose. Engage The World.
Denver Gap Year, a Christian gap year launched in September, 2021 with 4 and 8 month options for participants. It is designed for ages 17-22 years old at a cost of 14,000 dollars for the full 8 months and 7,000 for the 4 month program. At those prices, we are the most affordable Christian gap year program in America. The tuition pays for housing, food, classes, monthly adventure excursions and an international trip. The cost of tuition is tax deductible and can be support raised.
Participants can choose between attending all 8 months of the program that runs from September to April or opt to attend the 4 month version of the program offered in September and January. This allows participants the flexibility to choose the option that best fits their schedule and budget. All participants go through the exact same program together with the only differences being the length of time, cost of the program and which country they go to. Learn more about our schedule here and about the difference between the two options here.
Set to the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, our location in Denver is a thriving, diverse city with over 2 million people, offering participants the perfect combination of urban living and outdoor adventures. Participants will be able to explore all that Denver has to offer while also having plenty of time to go on adventures in the Rocky Mountains. Below you can read more about how we combine Christ centered community living, life changing discipleship classes, intentionally designed outdoor adventures, injustice combatting nonprofit service and worldview broadening international travel to help young adults discover their identity, activate their purpose and engage the world.
At Denver Gap Year, living out the kind of community Jesus spoke about Christians having is at the center of all we do and is the heartbeat of the entire program. We believe in creating an environment where each person has the opportunity to be fully known and loved. We believe that honest feedback and accountability helps each other grow. But that challenging each other should be balanced with regular affirmation and encouragement as well. We believe that living in intimate, authentic and committed community is necessary to live the full and purposeful lives Jesus talks about.
The size of the program is intentionally designed for every participant to be engaged with staff, visiting teachers and each other. This allows each participant to develop meaningful relationships. Participants can expect an intimate community setting defined by bi-weekly worship nights and nightly community dinners. These will be prepared by students and form the backbone of this vibrant community house. The relaxed but intentional times at the dinner table of Denver Gap Year allows students, staff and visiting teachers to connect in a way that is different than what happens in a classroom. We call this “kitchen table discipleship” and it is extremely important to us.
This community house is based in urban Denver and staff members will live with the participants as house parents. The purpose of house parents is to supervise the house and help build a vibrant community. Boys and girls can expect to sleep in separate rooms with common areas open to everyone. Details on the exact location will be revealed after applicant has been accepted but housing is located within walking distance to shops, parks and public transportation.
The purpose of our life changing discipleship classes is to help participants dig deeper into their God given identity and connect that to their lifelong God given purpose. We believe that when you know who you are you can thrive wherever you are and in whatever you are doing. Therefore a large focus of our classes is about who God is, what intimacy with God looks like and how that relates to each person’s identity. Then from that base we study what God’s purpose in the world is and how that relates what Christians should be doing. From there specific focus will be given in helping participants dig into issues they are passionate about, what their skills are and connect that to their future studies and work.
Participants will spend time in the morning and afternoon 4 days a week covering numerous subjects such as leadership, theology, injustice, identity and holistic living. Classes will be taught by staff and an extensive network of pastors, Christian leaders and people working in the marketplace.
Participants can expect to be exposed to a variety of teaching methods, be engaged in class times far beyond note taking and a curated monthly book choice provided to them by Denver Gap Year. Our network of visiting teachers from all over the world will provide great value to our participants and help them to grow in their identity and purpose.
Participants will not earn college credits during their time with DGY. Our program is designed to offer an opportunity for participants to discover identity and purpose within a pressure free environment.
Monthly adventures, included in participants tuition, will include activities such as skiing, skydiving and hiking along the beautiful front range of the Rocky Mountains. These are great opportunities for participants to challenge themselves and to create unforgettable memories. Camping and day hikes taken as a community will allow for times of bonding, contemplation and connecting with God through the wildness and serenity of nature. And since many hikes are located within an hour of Denver, there will also be plenty of free time to explore the Rocky Mountains. In addition time and budget are set aside to explore Denver. Offering the chance to visit the world class Denver Art Museum, attend a Colorado Rockies or Denver Nuggets game, step into the weird world of immersive art at Meow Wolf or explore the many other parks, music venues and interesting neighborhoods Denver has to offer.
The community service aspect of Denver Gap Year gives participants an opportunity to learn how to establish the Kingdom of God by combating injustice in urban America. This is done by serving a local Denver nonprofit and completing group service projects around the city. Our community service component also gives participant a chance to take what they are learning in our life changing discipleship classes and apply it in the real world.
Every participant will serve with one of our nonprofit partners on a weekly basis. This will usually be done together as a group. Other opportunities will be offered for students to find their own opportunity they are interested in and co-ordinate volunteering for the rest of the group. Volunteer service will be guided by Denver Gap Year staff member to make sure both the participant and organization are benefiting.
There are two main goals to community service. One is to help a young person see the challenges, different types of opportunities and ultimately the value of serving in the city you live in. The other is to be a part of transforming Denver through consistent partnership with local organizations proven to make a difference. Currently, our official nonprofit partners include Denver Rescue Mission , Denver Public Schools and Casa De Paz.
Participants will spend a month internationally with one of our many international partners. Three of our main partners are located in Guatemala, Spain and the Philippines. But we also have connections in many other countries around the world. We believe the international component of our program gives participants a chance to broaden their Christian worldview and grow their faith in unique ways. Our trips abroad also provide a chance to combat injustice in a new context, learn from our international partners, go on exciting new adventures and grow closer as a community.
At the end of both semesters participants and staff will engage in a service trip abroad for 2 weeks. Examples of possible trips include assisting a local contact in Antigua, Guatemala or helping in Manila, Philippines with an organization called Childrens Garden. We have contacts in 30+ countries around the world though, so we have a lot options! The purpose of this trip will be to assist the mission of our local contact, learn about poverty and challenge participants on global injustice issues. All participants will go through extensive training to prepare for serving with an international children’s organization including background checks. This trip is covered by tuition.
2 weeks of every term are spent internationally. But the countries visited and what is done internationally will vary based off a variety of factors.
To learn more about why we partner with Children’s Garden, what we do to train our participants and read our response to concerns about working with orphanages click here.
To learn more about our partnership with Emma and Renzo Gonzalez in Antigua, Guatemala and what students will do while there click here.
To learn more about why we partner with G42 Leadership Academy and what participants would do while there click here.
Have more questions? Please read our FAQ section or visit our contact page.
Ready to apply to Denver Gap year? Click Here.