The East Coast “Alternative to College Fair,” known as the ALT Fair, is scheduled for Saturday, September 23, 2023 in New York City. The event is free and will take place from 12:00-3:00pm PST. Similar to previous years, the target audience for the ALT Fair will be high school seniors or young adults who are interested in exploring alternative paths to higher education or towards independence, and may need a little social or emotional support. Families, young adults, and even high school counselors and consultants are encouraged to attend this free event. 

On Friday, September 22, 2023, there will be a networking event for referring professionals and 20 gap year and young adult programs. The event is from 8:00am – 5:00pm EST in New York City. The cost to participate for professionals is $200. Half of that will be refunded at the end of the event to those who stay for all meetings. Referring professionals who are encouraged to participate include gap year consultants, therapeutic consultants, independent consultants that work with clients with learning disabilities, high school counselors, and any other referring professional who are looking to learn more about alternative options post-high school including gap year programs, adventure therapy programs, young adult transition programs, and coaching/mentoring programs. 

Launched in 2015, all ALT Fair events in California had been hosted in Walnut Creek, in the East Bay. In Fall 2022, an East Coast ALT Fair was piloted in New York City and in Spring 2023, the West Coast ALT Fair was hosted in Palo Alto, CA. These changes came with years of feedback, and now the East Coast ALT Fair will return by popular demand.

When asked about year two of the NYC event, Adrienne Frumberg of Lighthouse Guidance said, “With little to no marketing done last year, we had a great turnout! This year we’re doing intentional and targeted marketing and anticipate to have high attendance for the fair itself. By offering the event on the east coast, it really does open doors for families in the tri-state area to come explore resources for their young adults. We’re really excited to be back!” 

Counselors, consultants, and other referents can get information about the professional networking day at CollegeAlternative.org. Registration is required, and it’s on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration for the ALT Fair is encouraged but not required for families, young adults, and counselors. Registration for that event can be found at: https://forms.gle/9j4vdsVhrGKdLCYk8

For additional questions, contact: hello@collegealternative.org.