A swiss student's view of a gap year!
Added to website: 14 August 2007
As a swiss student, I had never really heard about doing volunteer work or taking gap years. That’s because taking a gap year is very rare in Switzerland, and I have never heard of anybody doing something like it. In a summer placement with CCC I discovered what this is all about…
Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) is a not-for-profit organisation at the cutting edge of ecotourism, they send teams of volunteers to survey some of the world’s most endangered coral reefs and tropical forests. CCC’s mission is to protect these crucial environments by working closely with the local communities who depend on them for food and livelihood.
I was very excited when I heard what a gap year is! It is a great opportunity to discover something new, gain a life changing experience and doing something for the environment at a beautiful location, including the Philippines, Tobago or Papua New Guinea! On a CCC project, you will gain a fantastic opportunity surveying the coral reefs or the rainforest, gain lots of new skills and make many new friends. It’s so worthwhile taking a gap year and doing some volunteer work. In England, taking gap years seems to be the right choice for many graduates, I think that should be the same for swiss graduates! Not only are you doing something positive, it is also a chance for you to develop important lifeskills.
Coral reefs and rainforests are extremly endangered and in desperate need of protection. Local communities rely on CCC’s work as it will ultimately help sustain livelihoods for themselves and for furure generations. On a CCC Expedition, volunteers help those communities by surveying those endangered areas. Volunteers do not need a science background or any qualifications nor scuba training or specialist skills to go on a expedition, as they can learn it there! An amazing opportunity for all…
Nehmen Sie diese Chance wahr und kommen Sie auf eine CCC Expedition!
Es lohnt sich!
Nadja Meyes
