Up with People On Tour Gap Year Experience

Participating in Up with People was one of the best decisions of my life. If you are looking for a unique and dynamic cultural adventure, look no further. Up with People brings young people from all over the world together and combines cultural immersion, music, travel and volunteerism into a unique semester or year-long program that will transform you. Before I knew the depths of what Up with People was, I was invited to the musical performance... Five minutes in, I knew that I would participate in this program. Little did I know at the time, how much my experience in UWP would positively impact my life and make me a more understanding person. My experience in UWP was incredible in so many ways: I traveled to new places and countries, I met people from all over the world, I was educated about the world and different cultures first-hand, I was on the radio for the first time, I learned how to be more flexible and understanding with others, I performed in a musical show, I volunteered in every city and made life-long friends. I left the program changed and more open to the world and the cultures within it. I am hugely passionate about traveling, I am open to cultural differences and eager to learn about them, volunteering is very important to me and I have traveled to places I never thought I would go because of the friends I made in this organization. I highly recommend this program as a post-high school adventure, a Gap Year, a break from college or as a post-college adventure because it will prepare you for life in a way no other program can.

I have preformed in venues across the world, theaters across Europe, town centers in Mexico, High schools and so on. We preformed for Diplomats, Mayors, families, friends even an actual Princess. It doesn't matter if you are tone deaf or actually deaf, you are a part of this show, and the best part is preforming is less then half of what you get to do in this program. The community service may be hard work at times but it's worth every second, because you get to see the reality of the location you are in, not just the pretty lights, you get to feel like your part of the community and you get to be the hero who helps make it a little better.

I am a gaming geek who loves to sing. I know it sounds hard to believe but this program is worth every second.

I joined Up with People for a year, right out of high school. I had never traveled much and was excited to see the world and spread my wings.

Staying with 75+ host families opened my eyes and warmed my heart. Speaking in front of groups, performing for thousands of people, meeting strangers every day, and being "on" for 18 hours a day was certainly not something I expected to enjoy or embrace. Giving of myself day in and out, stretching the limits of what I thought I could do, and being a sponge, soaking up all the experiences helped build my confidence and self-worth a thousand-fold.

The skills and confidence I earned that year helped me decide the education path I wanted to pursue in college, and the career I chose after. I learned more with Up with People than a traditional formal education could ever provide. I learned compassion. I learned joy. I learned commitment. I learned generosity. I learned tolerance. I learned hard work. I learned every day!

If you know someone between the ages of 17-29 who is looking for a unique, life-changing, amazing experience, have them contact Up with People. UWP has more than 50 years of success and credibility of launching young people on to doing wonderful, positive things in their communities and beyond.

It was one of the best experiences of my life. I decided to travel with UWP because I could have an experience connecting my 3 passions (travelling, music and community service), and it was wonderful. I made friends all over the world, I lived in different cultures, outside my comfort zone, I improved my social and professional skills, all this and much more made me appreciate more life.
Something I will never forget, and I will forever be grateful for... the families who hosted me. I truly felt the love from all these people, that welcomed me (a complete stranger) and opened the door to their homes with such hospitality.
I totally recommend this adventure!

I went back and forth between 'me-changing-experience' and 'me-enhancing-experience' for the title of my review. I believe that Up With People exposed me to the world, and exposed the world to me, in such a way that the experience truly ENHANCED who I truly was deep inside. Up With People made me realize how far I could stretch myself, how many boxes I could break out of, and how many people I had the capacity to not just meet, but truly know.

I heard a quote once: 'change the world by changing yourself'. This truly is what I believe Up With People did for me: it made me realize the scope of what it means to be from somewhere, and what it means to truly GO somewhere.

My time in Up With People impacted every part of who I am today. I set out to change the world and be a rock-star-on-tour, and I believe I accomplished much more than I set out to do.

I am a better friend, brother, son and father today because of my time in Up With People.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Up with People happened. I traveled as a 24 year old fresh off a college football season. I absolutely fell in love with every aspect of the tour. Whether it was traveling with 100 other young people, impacting communities, host family living, education workshops, my five week internship/professional development and of course the amazing show we put on for thousands. I wasn't particularly skilled in any of those areas, but the opportunity given to me by the staff to grow as a person through UWP was unprecedented. UWP is on my professional resume'/CV for any job I apply for. I still visit friends and host family from my semester of travel. To this day I receive random messages of thanks from those communities we impacted. I'm so grateful for my UWP experience. I went back to college football after my tour and was a better football coach. UWP taught me how to connect with all types of people, necessary public speaking/communication skills, I traveled the world, performed for thousands (including the Pope) and made friends for life. This will be the best decision you ever make!

I traveled with Up With People in cast 82B. I expanded my world view, learned to make the most of each moment, good or bad, and made friends I still consider precious. It was interesting, difficult, fun, crazy, exhausting, uplifting. My tour was 4 months in Mexico, allowing me to learn another language), then to the southern USA. Being immersed in families different from my own, yet with similar goals, allowed me to grow and become more tolerant. My final host mom picked me up in a car held together with masking tape, wearing socks, but no shoes. The children were wild and filthy. We arrived at the mobile home, where several people lived. I had been given my own room, in spite of space restriction, with a lock on the door. A friend of theirs came over, as I was known to give haircuts, and he'd not been able to get one for a while. As we chatted, he said he was out for the weekend. I asked out of where? The county? The town? Nope, the jail. Okay then....Dad was a pastor, the rest of the family and significant others were all ex-cons (or current cons). After my 2 days with them, I left the town, on the bus at the highway, into Atlanta, then flew home. Do you know, that host family, with no funds to spare, called my parents to make sure I was home safely? I expected my time with Up With People to expand my music career, but much more importantly, it expanded my personality and my humanity. I like to think I've never lost the openness to other cultures and situations, over the years. Oh, by the way, a very good friend from that year kept in contact. 11 yrs later, we reconnected and married. This year we celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary.
Kimberley McLean, Aurora, ON, Canada

Wow. Up with People is the best decision I have made yet in my 29 (almost 30!) years of life. Every aspect of my daily life has been impacted by Up with People: my career, my education, my social life, my relationships, and my hobbies. Up with People (UWP) taught me that I am not the center of even my universe. It taught me to appreciate what I have and give of what I can. It taught me to open my mind and say 'yes' more than 'no.' UWP taught me that experiences and relationships are worth so much more than tangible items. It taught me that the feeling of being "uncomfortable" is actually amazing, and taking risks means being alive. I now pay much more attention to national and international news. I want to know what's happening in Mexico, Sweden, Italy, China, Japan, Africa, Switzerland, and Norway. Why? Because I've been there, lived with people there, and have friends there. "What's Happening To You Is Happening To Me." Our world is much smaller than you think.

Because of UWP, I have traveled to more countries than I ever dreamed possible. I feel comfortable speaking spontaneously. I have confidence in myself, my thoughts, and my ideas. I know how to listen and not just hear. I know that to achieve social impact, I need to get to the root of the issue. I have cultural competency, a skill that will take me far in any career I choose, no matter the industry. I ask questions more than I give answers. I now listen rather than hear. I show empathy rather than sympathy. I also know how to live out of a carry-on suitcase, regardless of trip length.

Thank you, Up with People. Your have done more - and continue to do more - for me than I could have ever thought possible.