Find a Program
Enroll

Reviews and Press

One of the best ways to understand our programs is to hear from the people who’ve experienced them. Below you’ll find reflections from our alumni, parents, and school partners.

Teen Life top 50 Gap Programs LogoGoOverseas reviewsGoAbroad star ratingTeenLife reviewsGoogle ReviewsGoOverseas Gold Verified
Teen Life top 50 Gap Programs LogoGoOverseas reviewsGoAbroad star ratingTeenLife reviewsGoogle ReviewsGoOverseas Gold Verified

"Kids will invest more when they feel they're being invested in." —Michelle Obama, parent of a Dragons student

"There are no words...Twice, my son came back more mature, more open minded, more interesting, and with a new language!" —Lisa, parent of a Dragons student

"Dragons is an invaluable partner when it comes to assessing on-the-ground risks..." —Jessica Yonzon, Castilleja School

Featured in the News

Malia Obama’s Gap
Year With Us

Vetted and approved by the Secret Service, the Obamas chose us for their daughter’s Gap Year.

Visit NYT
Icon image

Princeton Bridge
Year Provider

How Princeton University’s Bridge Year Program expanded, allowing us to offer incoming students a year abroad before college.

Visit Princeton University News
Icon image

Unconventional Learning Before College

We’re excited to see our Bridge Year Programs featured in the education section of the Wall Street Journal!

Visit The Wall Street Journal
Icon image

Tufts Civic Semester
With Us

Tufts University partnered with us for their inaugural Civic Semester, sending first-year students to Peru before beginning life on campus.

Visit Tufts Daily
Icon image

Why Harvard Had To Wait for Malia

Malia Obama’s transformative year—before Harvard—sparked national interest in the growing Gap Year trend.

Visit Chicago Tribune
Icon image

Making Gap Year Programs Possible

NBC News highlighted us as an organization geared to make Gap Year programs more accessible, regardless of financial background.

Visit NBC News

A Proven Track Record of Success

Since 2009
University Partnership
Custom School Programming
Curriculum Development
On-Site Student Orientation

Designing Robust Year-Long Global Experiences

Through an extensive vetting process, Dragons was selected as one of three partner organizations to work with Princeton University in customizing and launching an inaugural Bridge Year Program. Five years later, we were chosen as Princeton’s exclusive partner and currently manage five year-round sites featuring extended homestays, intensive mentorship, and internships with local organizations engaged in social and environmental development work.

sand dunes at sunset
Since 2014
University Partnership
Custom School Programming
Faculty Workshops
Consulting

Building a Collaborative Global Education Model

We worked with Menlo School to design and launch longer, more immersive, challenging, and growth oriented global programs, effectively making the shift from travel experiences to intentional global education. We continue to support the ongoing evolution of Menlo Abroad by working closely with faculty and admin to design new programs, consult on important risk management and messaging considerations, providing training to teachers for leadership skills, and ongoing feedback and assessment across all collaborations.

boy and horse running through the turquoise ocean waves
Since 2014
High School Partnerships
Custom School Programming
Faculty Training
Curriculum Development

Focused Pre Departure Curriculum

In 2014 we worked with Castilleja to pivot from a student tour, to immersive global education aimed at inculcating specific global competencies. Since then, we’ve focused on building a strong container for transformative learning through intentional pre-departure curriculum, tone-setting, and program preparation. We continue to work with Castilleja in the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and Morocco.