Educators worldwide recognize that people learn best in a real-life context, interacting directly with the environment and people around them – reflecting on and applying their learning as they go. Experiential education has recently gained momentum, as Gap Year programs garner federal financial aid, tax breaks, and college credit for their students.

INDIVIDUALIZED COACHING AND TRAINING

Shine Your Light is dedicated to helping the experiential education movement thrive and expand. We train and coach leaders who are running or developing Gap Year programs, experiential charter schools and other preK-12 schools and education programs, environmental and outdoor education, cultural exchange programs, service-learning, internships, summer camps, and study abroad.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING LEADERSHIP INTENSIVE

The Experiential Learning Leadership Intensive (a.k.a. “Boot Camp”) is a 4-day intensive leadership retreat for executive directors, developers, and managers of experiential learning programs inside and outside of a school setting. The Boot Camp offers in-depth training and support in the key areas needed to run your programs successfully, including marketing, effective systems and administration, risk management, program development and fine-tuning, and learning outcome assessment. The leadership intensive has been a successful, transformational program for 13 years, replicated nationwide. For more information: 2020 Experiential Learning Leadership Intensive, APPLY NOW

First year Boot Camp leaders came from 3 different countries and across the U.S. Their programs included Gap Year, international cultural exchange, experiential charter schools, outdoor education, and study abroad, operating in over 50 countries worldwide and 20 US states. 87% of the organizations have been in operation for more than 10 years, serving kindergarten through adults.

The vast majority of the leaders reported that the intensive training was “extremely useful” and that their skills and knowledge “significantly increased.”