What if the Gap Year Was Actually a Launch Year? | Abby Falik

Mark your calendars for SXSW EDU March 3-6, 2025 in Austin, Texas, and register now at sxswedu.com. Let’s work together to shape the future of education—one idea at a time. In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark interviews Abby Falik, founder of The Flight School, a transformative educational initiative aimed at high school graduates. The Flight School offers an innovative "launch year," encouraging young adults to step beyond traditional educational paths, explore personal passions, and engage in aligned work that addresses world needs. The program emphasizes experiential learning, global immersion, and self-discovery, distinguishing itself from the typical gap year by fostering skills such as resilience, empathy, and agency. During the conversation, Falik articulates the importance of redefining success and education in a rapidly evolving world, aiming to prepare a generation of leaders equipped to navigate and contribute to a future shaped by global challenges and opportunities. The Flight School’s model, designed for scalability, seeks to involve a million students by 2035, making the experience accessible to diverse youth worldwide. Falik invites listeners to support and participate in expanding this vision, highlighting the broader societal shift towards valuing personal and communal impact over conventional academic achievements. Outline (04:16) The Concept of a Launch Year (06:55) Components of the Flight School Program (14:25) Skills and Community Building (23:44) Scaling the Flight School Vision Links Watch the full video here Read the full blog here Abby Falik  The Flight School Previous Podcast with Abby