The Act Five
Gap Year Program
The 8 month program has been designed to stretch you through new experiences, new places, and new relationships within a Christian community. Out of this year, you will grow beyond what you can imagine in knowing God, learning about yourself, and discerning where you are heading next.
Our 8 Month Program
While living together in a large community home, students and Resident Leaders will practice regular rhythms of meals, chores, recreation, adventure, study, mentorship, prayer and worship. The following gives you an overview of Act Five’s 8 month program.
First Term
The main goals for the first term are to become part of the Act Five community together, to get to know Hamilton and our neighbourhood, and to look at who God has made us to be and what He is inviting us into. We learn to pay attention to God’s voice, to each other, and to the world around us, and we will be challenged by new ideas and experiences.
Highlights
Coldwater Canada Wilderness Canoe Trip
14 days in Northern Ontario in September, including a nine-day wilderness canoe trip through the beautiful Temagami region.Community Life at Blake St
Settling into life in community, learning & growing together, exploring Hamilton and around Ontario.Learning from Local Organizations & Indigenous Communities
Manitoulin Island Learning Trip
Academic Courses
Second Term
The goals for the second term are to live out what we’ve been learning in more active ways – in Hamilton and beyond. We hope students will experience God’s mission locally and globally in ways that will give them a clearer sense of what, how, why and where for life after Act Five.
Highlights
2-3 week Cross-Cultural Service Trip
Field Placements
Coldwater Canada Winter Wilderness Trip
Coldwater Backpacking Trip
Academic Courses
Other Program Details
Housing
Students will be living together on Blake Street in downtown Hamilton, along with two Resident Leaders and 5-6 other young adults (see Act Five’s Residency Program page).
Going Home
While Act Five is an immersive community experience, students will be given specific dates each term where they are invited to return home, as well as a three-week break over Christmas.
Field Placements
Students will work with Act Five staff and outside experts in determining where second-term field placements will be located. Some of these will be within community non-profits. Others will be in placements unique to each student’s interests such as music, business, architecture, healthcare, education, various trades, and more. In most situations, Field Placements will be unpaid.
Alumni Engagement
Students will work with Act Five staff and outside experts in determining where second-term field placements will be located. Some of these will be within community non-profits. Others will be in placements unique to each student’s interests such as music, business, architecture, healthcare, education, various trades, and more. In most situations, Field Placements will be unpaid.
Join the Journey
Slow down and make space to find real answers you can put into practice.
It’s not just ideas that form us. It’s what we do, who we spend time with, the places we hang out, and the habits we form. Act Five is about preparing for your future while growing as a disciple of Jesus right now.
