Transform Your Youth’s Future with Our Gap Year Program

Prepare your Youth for the Future
The Act Five Gap Year Program

Adventure travel, service learning trips, and volunteer opportunities to give your youth mentorship, habit formation and Christian community through cross-cultural experiences.

Travel
Worship
Live
Learn
Work
Serve

Discover the Transformative Power of a Gap Year

Taking a gap year with Act Five offers a unique and enriching experience for your youth, equipping them with the skills, experiences and insights needed for their future.

Why Act Five?

Adventure and Exploration

Through adventure travel, including canoe trips and cultural explorations, your youth will experience new places and perspectives, broadening their horizons and understanding of the world.

Life of Faith

Integrated into the program are opportunities for preparations for a life of faith, including worship sessions, biblical studies, and exploring the unfolding of the biblical story. These experiences help your youth deepen their faith and connect with their spirituality.

Communal Living

Act Five emphasizes communal living, where your youth will learn the importance of community, shared responsibilities, and building meaningful relationships. Living together fosters a sense of belonging and support.

Academic Excellence

The academic program at Act Five is robust, with courses equivalent to first-year university level. Students learn in diverse settings, from classrooms to the wilderness, gaining practical skills and knowledge transferable to their future academic pursuits.

Vocational Experience

In the second term, your youth will engage in vocational experiences, working with local businesses, non-profits, and trades. This hands-on approach helps them explore career paths, develop professional skills, and understand the value of work in a community context.

Community Service

Service and community engagement are core components of Act Five. Your youth will participate in local and Indigenous community projects, learning the importance of justice, reconciliation, and serving others.

“To put investment into mentors and teachers and housemates that will only love your child and want the best for them, and to invest in a community that is a safe place for them to grow, to fall, and to learn who they are… I ask myself, ‘What’s the rush?’ Act Five is a program that sets you up only for success. It is such an intentional program.”

ROSANNA & JOO-MENG SOHParents

Building a Bright Future
for Your Youth

Our program aims to develop well-rounded individuals ready to take on future challenges.

Here’s how Act Five supports your youth in their journey:

  • Personal Growth and Development:

    An environment for independent growth and leadership development.
    Building character through diverse experiences.
  • Spiritual and Emotional Development:

    Growth through regular practices of worship, prayer and more; along with significant mentorship and staff support.
  • Academic and Vocational Preparation:

    Preparation for all of life including future studies and vocation. Providing clear direction for their future.
  • Addressing Challenges:

    Students are provided training in a safe and supportive environment with Restorative Practice models for conflict resolution in place. 

Overview of Our Year-Long Journey

Explore, Learn, and Serve with Act Five

First Term
  • Community Integration: Settle into the Act Five community, explore Hamilton, and engage with local organizations and Indigenous partners.
  • Wilderness Adventure: Participate in the Coldwater Canada Wilderness Canoe Trip.
  • Academic Courses: Complete Part One of The Six Acts and Stories of Faithfulness, and Place, Home & Land.
  • Indigenous Learning Trip: Learn from Indigenous communities in Ontario.
Second Term
  • Field Placements: Complete an 8-week placement with local businesses, non-profits, or tradespersons tailored to your interests.
  • Cross-Cultural Service: Participate in a 3-week service trip with options in the USA or Central America.
  • Winter and Spring Adventures: Engage in a winter camping trip and a final backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail with Coldwater Canada.
  • Academic Courses: Complete Part Two of The Six Acts and Stories of Faithfulness, and Vocation & Praxis.
Other Program Details
  • Housing: Live together on Blake Street in downtown Hamilton with Resident Leaders and fellow young adults.
  • Going Home: Specific dates each term for students to return home, including a three-week break over Christmas.
  • Field Placements: Work with Act Five staff and experts to select placements matching your interests.
  • Alumni Engagement: Continued support beyond the program, including reunions and learning opportunities.

An Experience that Will Prepare Them for the Future

Sign up now to receive our detailed brochure and explore how Act Five can provide your youth with invaluable experiences and opportunities.

Curious To Know More?

Everything You Need to Know About Our Program

Act Five offers a variety of trips throughout the year, including a 3-week cross-cultural service trip in January, wilderness trips with Coldwater Canada, an Indigenous learning trip in Ontario, and several retreats. For the 2024-2025 year, service trips will include locations like the USA and El Salvador with organizations such as World Renew Disaster Response Services and Resonate Global Mission. Check our student handbook for the full schedule.

Act Five is committed to removing the barrier of cost as much as we are able; students can apply for financial aid through Act Five’s application process. Additionally, you can use RESPs to help cover the costs.

Yes, we encourage students accepted into limited-enrollment university programs to discuss deferral options with us. We will also support students in re-applying for university or college during the program. All the institutions our students have applied to have valued the Act Five experiences students obtained and every Act Five student has been accepted into their programs of choice following their year with Act Five (if eligible).

All Act Five courses are designed to be equivalent to first-year university courses. These courses are transferable to Redeemer University and potentially other institutions. We will assist students in seeking transfer credits with their chosen university.

We partner with experienced organizations to ensure the safety of all participants during trips. All students are required to have medical and travel insurance before starting the program, and we provide additional insurance as needed.

Interested students need to complete an application form, including essays and references. After reviewing the application, we conduct interviews to ensure a good fit for the program.

LEARNING WITH OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS

Our gap year program is enriched by collaborations with reputable partners who enhance our students’ experiences through adventure, service, and learning. Key partners include:

Get in Touch with Act Five

To learn more if Act Five is right for your child reach out to us today.

Feel free to write us at info@actfive.ca or call us at:

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