The University of Notre Dame and its Keough School of Global Affairs have entered into a partnership with Global Citizen Year to support experiential learning opportunities for admitted students who seek to understand the world better, build bridges to other communities and find a renewed sense of purpose for their education.
Global Citizen Year is an eight-month global immersion and leadership development program conducted during the year between a student’s graduation from high school and entering a university. Global Citizen Year Fellows live with a host family in one of four countries—Brazil, Ecuador, India or Senegal—and apprentice to a local organization working in education, health or the environment. Through this experience, students gain insights, perspectives and skills that will help them thrive at Notre Dame and make a positive impact, both on campus and in the world.
“I’m delighted that we are working with Global Citizen Year to advance our goal of attracting and cultivating students with a strong sense of human solidarity and concern for the greater good,” said Don Bishop, associate vice president of undergraduate enrollment at Notre Dame. “This program is a natural match with our unique history and mission among the nation’s top universities. I have no doubt that these global change-makers will enrich our campus community in numerous ways, and go on to be some of our most influential alumni.”
For all students admitted to both Notre Dame and to Global Citizen Year, the Office of Admission will defer admission offers for one year to allow them to pursue this life-changing experience prior to matriculating.
After completion of their gap year and upon arrival to Notre Dame’s campus, Global Citizen Year Fellows will connect with the Keough School to learn about global opportunities for learning and service both in the classroom and beyond the classroom.
“The Global Citizen Year Fellows will find many homes at Notre Dame, not the least the Keough School of Global Affairs, where priority is given to working alongside and in partnership with the people and peoples we study in the classroom,” said Scott Appleby, Marilyn Keough Dean. “There is no substitute for immersion in a culture, and we will learn best from one another when we share insights and knowledge about the everyday struggles and opportunities facing people across the world.”
Growing evidence shows that taking a gap year can provide short and long-term benefits to students—from improving student performance and happiness in college, to helping students make the most out of their post-secondary education, to setting young people up for a lifetime of global impact.
For more information, visit the Notre Dame Undergraduate Admissions Global Citizen Year webpage.
