A 9-month Christian leadership accelerator for high school graduates ready to design a life worth living—before choosing their next step.
01The wrong question
After high school, everyone is asking
There’s endless pressure to make a massive commitment—choose a school, pick a major, take on debt—with little experience and no clear process for making the decision.
02Better questions
LeapYear starts somewhere different.
03Reject the label
You’ve been labeled
You’ve been told you’re fragile, distracted, behind. You’re inheriting a world where leaders keep failing and institutions keep breaking trust.
But that’s not who you were made to be.
04What the world needs
The world doesn’t need another anxious graduate with a fancy degree and no idea what’s next.
People who know who they are and what they’re living for. A generation that refuses the labels spoken over them—and lives into something better.
05A different future
And we built LeapYear to equip you to lead it.
The program
Clarify who you want to become and how to get there through three core elements that transform how you approach your future.
Explore the Program
Master a process for professional satisfaction and success.
Learn to lead yourself. Lead others. Lead change.
Come fully alive in Christ and build spiritual practices that last.
Prototypes, projects, and proof of what you've tested and learned.
A decision-making process you'll use for the rest of your life.
A demanding, real-world project that demonstrates what you're now capable of.
Your current answer to “What is my role in God’s mission?”
The spiritual practices that will sustain you long after this year ends.
Mentors, exemplars, and a cohort of peers who will sharpen you for years to come.
“Before my gap year I realized that you need to be surrounded by great people and have structure in your life in order to flourish. LeapYear has given me both and I truly feel like I am flourishing.”
“I can’t imagine a better way to have spent my gap year. LeapYear taught me to make great decisions for myself rather than waiting for answers. What I learned here will shape the rest of my life.”
“I realized I love it when people trust me with important things. That feeling of being relied upon—that’s when I come alive. LeapYear helped me name that.”
“Before joining LeapYear, I had no aim for the next steps I needed to take with my career, my education, and my habits. Now I have a structure over my days, weeks, and months in a way I never had in the past.”
About LeapYear
Our founder, Riley, took his own Leap at eighteen. Now he’s dedicating his life to giving students what he learned—and what he wished he had. Our core team brings Stanford-inspired curriculum, theologically grounded formation, and decades of experience guiding people through life’s biggest transitions.
We believe in Exemplars over Experts. The people you’ll meet don’t just have impressive titles; they live extraordinary lives and embody deep values.
Applications open for 2026. Limited to 24 students.
FAQs
Yes. LeapYear is currently based in Austin, Texas, and students need to be present for intensives, coaching, community events, and formation gatherings. The program also includes travel for selected experiences.
LeapYear balances structure and freedom. The year begins with more shared structure and gradually gives students more ownership as they build the judgment and practices to direct their time well.
Graduates leave with greater clarity, a portfolio of tested work, practical decision-making tools, professional relationships, and a concrete next step—whether that is college, employment, entrepreneurship, or another path.
Tuition includes assessments, the kickoff retreat, intensives with industry leaders, biweekly one-to-one coaching, weekly group coaching, spiritual formation, career prototyping support, community events, program materials, and alumni community access.
Whether you have questions, want updates on future cohorts, or just want to follow the journey, we’d love to hear from you.
Start a conversation
