When most of us look at gap year programs, travel is usually at the top of our wishlist.
We picture the photos: standing on top of red rocks, hiking through mountain trails, or sipping coffee in a vibrant city.
And while those moments are incredible, at OneLife, travel isn’t just about collecting cool Instagram pictures or taking a nine-month break from real life. It’s about taking what you learn in the classroom and testing it in the real world.
Every OneLife location features a unique mix of outdoor adventure, cross-cultural immersion, and hands-on service trips.
Here is a look inside a few of the places our students travel, and the deeper framework behind why we pack our bags.
Where We’re Going This Year: A Glimpse into the Journey
While every site has its own unique travel schedule, every student gets exposed to high-challenge, high-growth environments across the country.
Navajo Reservation | All Sites: Think Jeep tours, vibrant red rocks, camping under starry desert skies, visiting Window Rock, and deep-diving into Scripture out in creation during an unforgettable “out West” expedition.
West Virginia (Greenbrier Christian Retreat) | All Sites: Once a year, all three of our campuses gather for our All Site Gathering (ASG). It’s an intense week of late-night campfires, shared worship, and building friendships across cohorts that last long after the year ends.
Cumberland Island, GA | Sakanaga Site: A wilderness backpacking trip where students carry everything they need on their backs, set up camp on a remote island, and unplug from daily noise. It’s designed to slow things down, build deep cohort trust, and foster self-reflection.
Kensington, PA | Pleasant View & Three Springs Sites: Paired with our Humanities coursework, students partner with local ministries (Productive Lives & The Rock Ministries) to step directly into inner-city service. Instead of discussing poverty and culture in a textbook, students serve on the front lines to see what living out the gospel looks like when things get heavy.
Italy | All Sites: An international trip where history, faith, and culture collide as all of our sites travel abroad to experience global ministry and historical foundations firsthand.
Clarkston, GA | Sakanaga Site: Known as the “most diverse square mile in the U.S.,” Clarkston is a major refugee resettlement community. Students partner with local organizations like Refuge Coffee, hearing real stories of global strength and resilience from people around the world.
Why We Travel: The 4-Component Learning Engine
Sitting in a lecture room talking about faith, leadership, and culture is a great starting point. But head knowledge alone doesn’t transform your life.
In our handbook, we break down our educational approach into four intentional components:
- Knowledge: Learning foundational truths and worldview concepts in the classroom.
- Experience: Taking experiential field trips to see how those theories actually apply in the real world.
- Teach-backs: Grasping concepts at a deeper level by learning how to articulate and share them with others.
- Travel: Putting what you’ve learned into active practice through hands-on training and daily living.
First, we learn to gain knowledge. Second, we experience the real-world implications of that knowledge. Third, we teach others to truly grasp the concepts for ourselves. And fourth, we put what we’ve learned into practice.
When you sit with a refugee in Georgia, backpack an island with your cohort, or serve in Kensington, you aren’t just taking a class trip. You are asking: “How does what I believe actually change how I live in the world?”
Don’t Just Picture It, Come See It!
Before our students step onto a trail in Cumberland Island or board a flight to Italy, they start right here on campus.
Schedule a campus visit to tour the sites, hang out with current students, meet our team, and see where your journey could begin.
