Gap at Glen Brook is a place-based semester program for 18-21 year-olds, nestled on a working farm in rural New England. Our 11 weeks of outdoor, experiential learning focus on developing practical skills to create sustainable lives and communities. Live with a close-knit cohort of peers, work on a sustainable farm, journey through wild places, learn to preserve the fall harvest, and dive into handcrafts like fiber arts and woodworking. Join us for our fall semester and learn by doing!
Learn to provide for your and your community’s needs by engaging with the daily and yearly rhythms of our sustainable working farm and with the care of the gardens and animals.
Experience connection with the natural world through wilderness trips and hands-on earth skills – canoeing, backpacking, foraging, natural history, and more.
Develop homesteading skills while practicing the crafts of food preservation, in-season cooking, forestry, carpentry, fiber arts, and beyond—helping us to harness and preserve the seasonal harvest.
Share space as a cohort of peers and practice skills that are crucial within an intentional community: self-governance, communication practices, and group processes.
Engage in self-inquiry—reflection and critical questioning of our stories and identities within our lives, our community, and our society; not in a vacuum, but alongside work and learning.
Participants can receive up to eight transferrable credits through our accreditation by the Gap Year Association (GYA) and their partnership with Portland State University.
Reviews (4)
In I completed the gap...
Reviewed
on Feb/14/2023 by Bella Brodsky
In 2019, I completed the gap program at Glen Brook. I certainly can't fully articulate in a single review just how incredible, meaningful, joyful, and special these 3 months were. Through stewardship, farming, cooking, and educational workshops, my cohort of 12 and I deepened our connection and relationship to the ecosystem and community around us. Intermixed with workshops, we set out on challenging, exhilarating, beautiful recreational trips: canoeing along rivers, camping among forests, and backpacking through mountains. Through difficult experiences both physically and mentally, I was pushed to grow in significant ways. I look back on these months with great fondness and gratitude: for the friends I made, the nourishing food I consumed, the strenuous trips, and the lessons I learned.
Great experience for our son.
Reviewed
on Dec/12/2016 by Lanny
Our 19 year old son participated in Gap at Glen Brook in 2016, and the experience - from his point of view and ours - was overwhelmingly positive. The distance (we live in CA) and the length of the program concerned us at first, but that was a total non-issue. Having a roommate and living in a house with other teens - both first time experiences - again a non-issue. He and the other gappers fell right into the rhythm of the program.
Glen Brook's five focus areas were embraced and enacted as part of the weekly flow of thoughtful and challenging activities. Amazing, really, how much was accomplished and how much confidence and independence our son gained. "Balance" is clearly an operative philosophy as experiences ranged from hiking to meditation to woodworking to world citizenship essays to 24 hour solo fire vigils to community cooking and cleaning. "Community", too, is obviously a byword at Glen Brook. Lots of talking things out, sharing life stories, and navigating the reality of 12 teens living together brought these students closer to each other as the semester progressed.
We had the opportunity to visit Glen Brook before the program, and we and our son felt immediately comfortable and trusting in the program leaders, Jake and Alison. Under their leadership and modeling, our son came home a much more confident and expressive person and looks at the world in a much more mature way. We would highly recommend Glen Brook for families looking for an enriching and challenging gap year experience.
I Loved Gap at Glen Brook
Reviewed
on Apr/11/2016 by Ben
Gap at Glen Brook was a very unique and enriching experience. I'm so happy that I had the opportunity to participate in the program. The community is incredible and it really made me feel comfortable being myself around everybody. We were always encouraged to be productive and have fun. I feel that in my case, Glen Brook was a catalyst to help me grow as a person and really prepare for college and whatever may come next.
Go to Gap at Glen Brook!
Reviewed
on Feb/27/2016 by Monty Stewart
If I could pick anywhere in the world to go and spend a gap semester, I would choose Camp Glen Brook. Gap was a wonderful and valuable experience that left me feeling psyched for what the future holds. I loved every second of my time here and everyone I was around. Glen Brook's flourishing community of bright and caring individuals is part of what makes this time so special. The staff here have got your Back! You will certainly make lasting friendships. There is plenty of time to work on personal projects in between the regularly scheduled activities, but I suggest that you take every opportunity to go out and experience all that Gap has to offer you! Apple cider pressing, wood working, hiking the gorgeous mountain trails of New Hampshire, awesome reflective writing classes, fire vigils and movie nights are just some of the incredibly fun things to do here! I can't bare to think of how my fall semester would have been if I had not chosen to come to Gap at Glen Brook. If you're gonna go anywhere, this should be your first choice.
From the first day it felt like I was entering a supportive, open community
- Erin Phillips, 2015 Gap at Glen Brook- December 10, 2015
Here at Glen Brook I love that we start every day with yoga or meditation. It makes me feel relaxed and prepared for the upcoming activities.
- Ben Rosenstein, 2015 Gap at Glen Brook- January 20, 2016
Thank you for a truly amazing semester. I accomplished things I never thought I could have. Through your guidance and compassion I was able to gain a strength and confidence that I don't think I could have acquired without your help and support.
- Leah Bloom, 2015 Glen Brook Gapper- November 30, 2015
Gap at Glen Brook has taught me so freakin' much!
- Alicia Greco, 2015 Gap at Glen Brook- December 20, 2015
Write a Review For Gap at Glen Brook
"*" indicates required fields
We value your privacy
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See Privacy Policy
We’re here to help you find teen-centered academic and enrichment opportunities that you never knew existed. By creating an account, you will be able to save your favorites, request information via pre-populated contact forms, and submit reviews. We will also be able to tailor our communications to your stated interests and preferences.
In 2019, I completed the gap program at Glen Brook. I certainly can't fully articulate in a single review just how incredible, meaningful, joyful, and special these 3 months were. Through stewardship, farming, cooking, and educational workshops, my cohort of 12 and I deepened our connection and relationship to the ecosystem and community around us. Intermixed with workshops, we set out on challenging, exhilarating, beautiful recreational trips: canoeing along rivers, camping among forests, and backpacking through mountains. Through difficult experiences both physically and mentally, I was pushed to grow in significant ways. I look back on these months with great fondness and gratitude: for the friends I made, the nourishing food I consumed, the strenuous trips, and the lessons I learned.