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Mission

What’s important to us

At Impact Gap Year, our mission is to foster well-rounded individuals through a variety of programs that promote local leadership, ethical practices, and the empowerment of young people.

We are committed to creating a world where individuals are empowered to lead, where ethical practices prevail, and where young people are equipped to create positive change. Join us on this journey of growth, collaboration, and impact.

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Grassroot Leadership

In our approach to local leadership, we believe in enhancing rather than changing or replacing cultures. We work closely with community leaders who possess deep knowledge of their nations, valuing their guidance to promote leadership and confidence from within. By embracing ideas of equality, safety, and sustainability, we aim to uplift communities while respecting their unique identities.

Conscious Engagement

Ethical practices are at the core of our work. We acknowledge the negative backlash that voluntourism has received due to unethical practices and behaviors. At Impact Gap, we strive to redefine the concept of traveling abroad by practicing full transparency. We openly share how we operate, where we work, and the achievements and milestones of our missions and goals. We are dedicated to making a positive impact on the planet, ensuring a livable place for future generations.

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A volunteer teacher standing in front of her students
Youth Empowerment

Motivating young people is a fundamental aspect of our organization. We strongly believe that change begins with education. Our programs aim to educate participants about global issues and foster collaboration in diverse and unique ways to address them. Our goal is to equip each Impact participant with the skills necessary to lead meaningful lives. Whether they pursue careers in teaching, research, engineering, politics, or other fields, we strive to nurture their talents and enable them to make a difference in their chosen paths.

The People Behind

Meet The Team

Greg has 20 years experience in developing education and impact driven Travel companies, Greg started this Journey by backpacking his way from Ethiopia down to South Africa. He fell in love with Africa, and in 2004, he co-founded African Impact. Since then Greg has worked and helped start organizations which combine education, travel and purpose.

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Greg Bows

Christine graduated with a degree in Psychology from the University of the Philippines in 2005. Since then, she has worked in different industries including self-publishing and newspaper publishing. She also led the travel crowdfunding site, FundMyTravel before joining Impact Gap Year.

PRODUCT MANAGER

Christine Del Pilar

Albertus brings over two decades of experience from his career in fire fighting within the fire & rescue services, having been born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. Transitioning from the frontlines of emergency response, he pursued studies in health and safety through NEBOSH, channeling his expertise towards a proactive approach in accident & incident avoidance. He is committed to safeguarding lives, property and the environment and aims to ensure the utmost safety in conjunction with life changing experiences to all staff and participants.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Albertus Koorts

Nacho is an Environmental Lawyer and Sustainability Project manager with experience in advising on public policy design and implementation in areas such as climate change, human rights, indigenous peoples, transparency and environmental conservation. As a born and raised Costa Rican he has worked in the promotion of ecotourism, sustainable rural development and wellness tourism focused in developing project impact and sustainability best practices.

LATIN AMERICA DIRECTOR

Nacho Barboza

Stacey is South African born and bred, with 10 years of experience in volunteer travel, specializing in operations management in South Africa. Her passion lies in adventure travel, making her an expert in creating memorable and impactful travel experiences.

SOUTH AFRICA DIRECTOR

Stacey Isham

Meet Olivia, our resident "CRM Nerd"! She seamlessly blends her love for systems and data with her greatest passion: meaningful travel. Olivia's journey began with a volunteering adventure in Tanzania after university, and since then, she's spent the last decade exploring the continent extensively. With valuable experience gained from her roles at African Impact and HubSpot, Olivia brings a unique perspective to our team, combining her expertise in CRM with a deep understanding of the travel industry.

PARTICIPANT RELATIONS

Olivia O’Prey

Andrew discovered his love for experiential travel in 2007 whilst traveling and volunteering for 8 months around the Southern Hemisphere. He joined African Impact soon after, leading the development of what is now an admired organization for the quality of experience and impact it’s projects make. He continues in his role of leading the development of educational and impactful travel products across multiple brands in Africa and Latin America.

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Andrew Procter

Hailing from the midwestern U.S., Thomas first discovered the transformative power of meaningful international travel while participating in a service learning trip to South America. After careers in teaching and IT project management, he returned to his first love, impact travel, by founding World Endeavors in 2002. Since then, he has built best in class programming for learners and travelers throughout the world and has a particular passion for partnering with organizations to meet their clients unique needs.

PARTNER RELATIONS

Thomas Peden

An enthusiastic pioneer of IT who graduated with honors. His enthusiasm for website and app development allows him to create virtual worlds where creativity and usefulness coexist. Away from the world of code, he enjoys playing video games, going on exciting quests, and engaging in strategic combat. However, his spirit of adventure goes well beyond screens; he is a passionate traveler who explores far and wide to see the magnificent beauties of nature.

TECH MANAGER

Erick John Carbona

Diana has traveled to some Asian countries as she was a former flight attendant in a local airline in the Philippines. She is currently working on her social media management skills related to travel and computer skills in general. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Tourism Management in Cebu Institute of Technology-University and is looking forward to traveling to more countries, enhancing her skills, and advancing her career.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT

Diana Besande

Why Choose Us?

We can help you find your passion and purpose

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We both lead and follow

Impact Gap believes that volunteers are not there to change, adjust, or revise a culture, but rather to support local leaders in developing sustainable and responsible practices that benefit all members and areas in their respective communities.

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We work only with trusted providers

For many years, our program providers have been at the forefront of the volunteer sector. Impact Gap has connections to the best, most trustworthy, and ethical organizations, local leaders, and resources to ensure a safe trip for all participants.

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We are 100% committed

We want to change the world for the better. Impact Gap believes that change comes from education and a livable planet that allows everyone who resides on it to grow to their full potential through transferrable opportunities.

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We are supportive

We want all of our participants to have the time of their lives while also helping to improve the conditions that affect our globe. Impact Gap will continuously address and improve all ideas, incidents, and issues that may arise during your stay.

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We are transparent

Taking a gap year is probably the most personal and financial decision you’ll ever make in your life. Impact Gap will guide you through the steps of selecting the most suitable program to meet your needs and the communities we serve.

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We are affordable

Impact Gap is the only gap year provider that creates a carefully crafted itinerary to maximize the number of meaningful travel experiences participants can have, with diverse and specially-focused programs in multiple countries.

Our Partners

Who We Work With

We only work with the most trusted and most credible organizations who have worked in the volunteer and internship field for decades. This is to ensure that we can uphold our mission of offering safe and enriching gap year programs.

Contact Us

At Impact Gap Year, we are committed to creating a world where individuals are empowered to lead. where ethical practices prevail, and where young people are equipped to create positive change. Join us on this journey of growth, collaboration, and impact.


3015 E Franklin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55406, USA


+1 970​-399​-9968

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Impact Gap Year is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We’ll only use your personal information to provide the products and services you requested.

Contact Us


3015 E Franklin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55406, USA


+1 970​-399​-9968

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