Up with People - Global Education Program

- Multi-Country

• Other Cities in - Multi-Country: 
Various cities in each country

  Mexico

• Guadalajara: 
Guadalajara
• Mexico City: 
Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico)

  Philippines

• Other Cities in Philippines: 
Subic Bay

  United States

• Other Cities in United States: 
Chicago,  Denver,  Minneapolis

Term: Summer, Winter 
Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks and 3-6 months
Typical Duration of Program: 3-6 months
Dates: January-June and/or July-December

Description: Travel with a purpose, Perform for thousands, and Impact communities... at Up with People we don't just say it, we live it! Participants in the Up with People program travel for 22 weeks beginning in January or July of each year, participating in various community service projects, performing a dynamic musical show and experiencing a global education curriculum.

* International Participants

Traveling, living and learning with young people from more than 20 countries, participants learn how to work cooperatively while exploring the similarities and differences of people from other nations and cultures. Through both casual interactions and facilitated in depth discussions, participants have countless opportunities to see each culture through the eyes of its own people; to see beyond stereotypes; to challenge and re-evaluate views and beliefs often taken for granted. Up with People participants take time to learn about others and, as a result, find they've learned a lot about themselves in the process. Meeting and becoming lifelong friends with people from all corners of the world has other benefits as well. Being surrounded 24/7 by such diversity provides participants a unique opportunity to learn and practice speaking foreign languages some of which they may not even have heard spoken before. With language skills and an address book to match, Up with People alumni often continue learning as they travel the world, staying with their new-found friends wherever they go.

* International Travel and Host Families

During the Up with People program, participants travel in international casts of about 100 people to cities on a multi-continent tour, experiencing the cultural sights, sounds, and tastes of each community. From blending in with the locals to acting like tourists, sometimes even gaining VIP insider access to local points of interest they learn to explore and explore to learn. As students of the world, participants discover what makes each region unique, gaining a better understanding of its politics, history, culture, geography, environmental issues, religions and economics. The experience changes the hearts and minds of participants, preparing them to embrace their roles and responsibilities as global citizens. The Up with People program also provides the opportunity for participants to live with and learn from host families in the communities they visit, gaining a sense of what day today life is like in their corner of the world while sharing lifestyles and experiences. Living with community members in their homes, such as urban flats, rural farmhouses and thatch huts offers an unparalleled level of cultural immersion and the opportunity to form international friendships, many of which last a lifetime.

* Performing Arts

Up with People was founded on the principle of using music as a means to communicate with and inspire people. In each city the cast visits, participants perform in a vibrant and moving musical show that brings the community together, highlighting local partnering organizations and sparking people to action in meeting the needs of their communities, countries and the world. From a small gymnasium in Nebraska to a prestigious concert hall in Europe, even a large arena full of school children in Thailand, Up with People participants have performed for diverse audiences in a wide variety of venues. Among its historical performance highlights are four Super Bowl halftime shows, television broadcasts in countries around the world, and performances in Red Square in Moscow and at the Great Wall of China. Up with People has performed for royalty and heads of state, including Jordan's Queen Noor, Pope John Paul II, King Juan Carlos of Spain, and many U.S. Presidents. Recent appearances in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Tournament of Roses Parade both viewed by television audiences numbering in the tens of millions from 150 countries are evidence of Up with Peoples' continued appeal to audiences both large and small around the world.

* Community Impact

Social responsibility and dedication to community service are core elements of the Up with People program and, as such, service projects are an integral part of the cast's time in each city they visit. By giving back through community service projects that are not only helpful but also impactful, participants develop insights into how different cultures address social and political challenges. More importantly, they find that in working to contribute to and improve the lives of others, their lives are also forever changed. The Up with People program helps young people internalize that it's not getting, but giving that leads to personal growth. Projects are diverse and range from working alongside handicapped adults to reclaim fire damaged land, to mentoring children and assisting with local substance-abuse programs. Cast members have lifted sandbags during floods in the Netherlands, formed cement bricks with their bare hands to build homes in the slums of Manila, sung to residents in a nursing home in Quebec, and painted over graffiti in Mexico. Others have visited people in shelters and refugee camps, served the homeless at soup kitchens, even comforted terminally ill patients at a hospice. Wherever Up with People goes, the hearts and minds of both participants and recipients are changed forever.

* Global Education and Professional Development

Each city Up with People visits becomes a classroom and learning laboratory. Participants meet with political, corporate and social leaders around the globe, visiting regional points of interest, such as the European Union and United Nations Headquarters. The Up with People program offers truly unique access to opportunities to develop and refine leadership skills beneficial to any career or life path.

* Internships

Up with People provides a variety of professional development opportunities, allowing participants to build skills and gain valuable hands-on experience in a real-world setting. Participants interact with local business and community leaders, and they develop critical public speaking, presentation and interview skills through a variety of internships. While on tour, participants can apply for these internships to actively assist staff members responsible for various aspects of the program. Education interns, for example, plan, coordinate and implement community service projects. Technical interns take on the task of managing the set-up crew, overseeing lighting, sound and stage preparation. Advance Team interns travel to a city ahead of the cast to assist staff members in planning, logistics, marketing and public relations essential to making the tour a success. The opportunities are as diverse as the participants themselves.

Internships are available in all areas of the operation, including marketing and public relations, merchandise, admissions, logistics, education, sound and lighting, dance, band and vocals, finance, business and more.

* College Credit
Up with People has been redefining global education for over 40 years. The Up with People tours are scheduled to allow students to take one or two academic semesters - either before, during or after college - to experience the world in a unique way while gaining optional college credit. Up with People participants often continue their education, earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees, and employing their international and leadership experiences. Partner universities award specific academic credit in the form of equivalent courses (e.g. Communications 201) or one semester worth of credit for the UWP program. Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Hawai'i Pacific University in Honolulu, Hawaii and Western New England College in Springfield, Massachusetts are universities with which we currently have official partnerships. Up with People also has an affiliation with the University of Arizona in Tucson. Each partner school has specific requirements for receiving academic credit.

* Independent Study
In addition, based on university specifications, students have the option of setting up an independent study that can be applied during the semester long program. Students are responsible for creating their own independent study plan with their home university, if they so desire. Up with People admissions staff can advise interested students on the process.

Highlights: Started in 1965 during a turbulent period in the United States, Up with People was founded by J. Blanton Belk as a positive voice for young people. In 1968 Up with People was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) as an international, educational non-profit entity. The organization is not affiliated with any religion, political group or country.

Over the years, Up with People has become known as a tremendous force in international relations, education, and entertainment.

More impressive than where Up with People has been is the very real and sustainable change it has inspired across the globe through its contingent of over 20,000 alumni. For more than four decades, students who traveled in Up with People have gone on to become enthusiastic leaders in their hometowns, their countries and the world. Equipped with life skills and broad perspectives learned "on the road", they have made a tremendous difference in a myriad of careers and, through their life choices, have truly become global citizens.

Qualifications: Although musical talent and performance ability are welcome, individual selection is based on a personal interview rather than an audition. Important consideration is given to character and maturity. To apply you must be between the ages of 17 and 29, in good health, a high school graduate (or equivalent) and able to fully participate in all aspects of the program. For Applications, please contact us.

Minimum Education: High School

Cost in US$: 14,250 (Additional semester available w/ discount.)

Credit Available: yes

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18 to 29 years old

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of 80 with sub-groups of 6-18.

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Phone Interview
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Up with People's Mission Statement: To spark people to action in meeting the needs of their communities, countries, and the world while building bridges of understanding as a foundation for world peace.

Year Founded: 1965