Location
  • Online
Length
52+ weeks

Program Details

Timeframe
Academic Year Fall Spring Summer Winter Year Round

Pricing

Starting Price
600
Price Details
Our consulting fees range from $600 - $2,100 depending on the level of service a family chooses. We offer many scholarships every year to support students in achieving their gap year goals.
Nov 30, 2022
Dec 12, 2022
6 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

J2Guides is a gap year consulting service that puts empowerment, agency and affordability at the forefront of each family's gap year conversation. Co-founders Jane and Jason Sarouhan have spent nearly 30 years supporting young adults in wilderness, international and experiential settings. They are the only gap year counselors who have held every role in this field: they took gap time, led hundreds of students on programs as field instructors, directed a national educational nonprofit, and have spent the last 13 years as gap year consultants (and parents!) This legacy of expertise and passion deeply informs their holistic and engaging approach.

If you are here then you are thinking about a gap year. And if you are thinking about a gap year then you are someone who is ready to question, to learn, and to grow. If along the way you are looking for authentic, enthusiastic and experienced gap year mentors, J2Guides may be the right place for you. Contact us for a free consultation!

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Mentoring students who are ready for new skills or experiences has been at the heart of our work for 30 years.
  • Ours is a student-centric approach that is empowering, engaging and effective.
  • Parents value the time, money and stress saved by our tools, strategies and vetted referrals.
  • We are Gap Year Consultants accredited by the Gap Year Association.
  • We have been keynote speakers for the Go Overseas USA Gap Year Fairs since 2011.

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Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 9 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Content 5
  • Engagement 5
  • Support 5
  • Platform 5
  • Value 5
  • Housing 5
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Value 5
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 8 of 9 reviews
Default avatar
Meghan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Exceptional Guidance

Jane and Jason of J2 Guides are a power team when it comes to the world of gap years and experiential learning. As a college counselor, I have come to rely on their wealth of knowledge and years of experience. They are my first call when I have a question or a family is interested to learn more. In addition to their deep understanding, I greatly value their pedagogy as they are teachers first, ever relational and always listening so they can help kids be highly intentional with their gap time, achieve their goals, and ultimately learn more about themselves through their gap experience. They are the best!

Pros
  • Thoughtful
  • Personal
  • Supportive
16 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Travis
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

J2Guides Provides An Exceptional Experience for All!

I had the honor of working alongside Jane and this program as an educator. We brought a number of my high school students to Belize for what became a very formative experience for all of us. Jane and J2Guides organized and facilitated everything with professionalism and pure tact, from our travel itinerary to homestay environments to daily schedule and trainings. My students loved the program and returned to school, not only full of great stories and adventures, but changed. It was clear that they experienced tremendous growth and adopted a new sense of themselves, one another and the world around them. The students' time with Jane and J2Guides would end up, in the years to come, influencing many of the decisions they made, and the lives they pursued. Jane's expertise, combined with her collaboration style and extremely thoughtful down-to-earth approach to curating an exceptional experience is something that has continued to have affect on me and resonate in my own career as an educator and as a person. I wholeheartedly recommend their program and consultation for any school, family or individual.

Pros
  • Organization
  • Training
  • Support and guidance throughout experience
Cons
  • Program was too short (that was our fault, not the fault of J2Guides)
16 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jane
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Exceptional Guidance from J2Guides

J2Guides provided exceptional guidance to two of our children -- both of whom enjoyed stints abroad. I can't speak highly enough for the value they brought to the challenge of filling a year with vigorous, expanding experiences. A gap year is a gift of time to explore and experience the world focused on growth and adventure. J2Guides allowed our sons to capitalize on their opportunity and make the most of every week of their gap year. We are so appreciative of and grateful for the knowledge and resources Jane provided to our family.

Pros
  • Independence
  • adventure
  • Safety
Cons
  • Covid restrictions that caused plans to change
41 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Andrew
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Gap Year Advising

Jane provided fantastic advisory services for the planning of my gap year. I don't think I could have ever found the programs that suited me so well without her. She took the time to really get to know me and my parents, understand our respective goals for the year, recommend appropriate programs, and made sure my experiences were the best possible in every way. I spent the first half of my gap year in Ireland with Irish Gap Year and the second half doing service work in Hawaiian villages with Carpe Diem Education. I was pushed beyond my comfort zone in both programs but because Jane got to know me I was confident my experiences would be safe and successful. My parents and I can't say enough about J2 guides except that everyone should take a gap year before college and everyone should use their services. They are the best!

46 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Kelly
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Experienced and Professional Gap Year planners

Jane and Jason are incredibly knowledgeable and have a well thought out guide to Gap Year planning for students and families. We used their services this year for our son and loved the curriculum and materials provided for a thoughtful and meaningful experience tailored to meet his (and out) needs. Their knowledge of both domestic and international programs is extensive and I value that they do site visits and have personal relationships with the programs. They are thoughtful and compassionate in their approach and are able to meet students and parents where they are. I would highly recommend using their services!!

Pros
  • curriculum
  • guidance
  • vetting programs
45 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Julie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

J2Guides

Jane and Jason are not only consumate professionals but they are also super knowledgable about both overseas AND domestic gap year programs which has been especially helpful this year. I am super impressed by their company and recommendations and they helped my daughter navigate all the major steps of planning a gap year during a time when the rug literally got pulled out from all of us. By shifting to domestic programs, my daughter was able to find the right fit for her and is engaged and learning so much...THANK YOU J2Guides!!!

What would you improve about this program?
J2Guides is well organized and accessible for both students and parents and their vast knowledge about gap year programs means kids will be able to find the right fit for their particular interests
82 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Solly
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fantastic Guidance and Growth with Explore and Plan the Gap!!!

Jane and Jason started by laying out a thoughtful and specific, yet flexible framework for my gap year. They shared many planning practices, from dreaming up ambitious ideas to budgeting and safety in foreign countries. Most importantly, they shared optimistic, but practical approaches for planning a gap year during Covid. And once I started meeting one-on-one with Jane, my progress skyrocketed! I’m especially excited about the spanish lessons I’m taking over Zoom, from a Peruvian language school.

87 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
habariyako
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

J2's leadership is the reason why I'm an educator

I was deeply shaped by Jane and Jason as an 18-year-old, when they were the leaders on my gap year program. They did a beautiful job weaving in themes, recurring lessons, and an appropriate amount of structure to the program. I remember being struck by how authentically they were themselves on our program, and I watched them role-model important lessons like setting boundaries, making time for self-care, and managing frustration appropriately -- things that I never saw my high school teachers or mentors do. Overall, Jason and Jane were practical yet playful, creative, and artistic guides who balanced love with rigor in mentoring each member of our group, even when times got tough. As a participant I was absolutely ignited by their leadership style, and I attribute a large reason why I'm an educator today to the times I spent with them as leaders on that program. Thank you for all you do, J2!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Be honest with yourself, honest with your guides, and open to the experience that is in store for you, whether it's what you were expecting or not!
82 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers