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Up with People (UWP) was founded by J. Blanton Belk in 1965 as a positive voice for young people during a turbulent period in the United States. Its historic path officially began in 1968 when it was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) international, educational non-profit entity.

Over the years, UWP has become known as a tremendous force in international relations, education, and entertainment. The statistics speak for themselves and we are proud of the impact we have made – and continue to make today.

• More than 21,000 young men and women from more than 102 countries have come together to travel in 180 casts to deliver a common message of hope and goodwill to people around the world, and pursue their own global education and personal growth goals through service, music and travel.
• UWP has visited more than 4,000 communities in 42 countries;
• Over 3 million hours of community service have been performed by UWP students;
• 500,000 host families around the world have welcomed UWP students into their homes;
• An estimated 22 million people worldwide have been directly impacted by UWP.

Then and Now

During its first couple decades, UWP was primarily known for its musical productions and international tours. UWP continues to value the power of music as a universal language and the performing arts is an important part of the student experience and what we bring to each community. Most importantly, today’s program also addresses the very real need for international young leaders to develop global perspective, intercultural understanding, leadership skills and a dedication to community service.

Our Alumni

More impressive than where UWP has been is the very real and sustainable change it has inspired across the globe through its network of 21,000+ alumni. For over four decades, students who traveled in UWP have gone on to become enthusiastic leaders in their communities, their countries and the world. Equipped with the life skills and broad perspectives learned “on the road”, many have become true global citizens and continue to give back in their careers and everyday lives. UWP is extremely thankful to its alumni and owes a great deal of its success – past and present – to the ongoing support from its alumni network in all parts of the world.

Historical Highlights

The 1960′s

• 1965 – A group forms called Sing Out, performing the song Up with People in their traveling show
• 1965 – Sing Out’s “Up with People” was the first event held at Jordan High School in Watts after the Los Angeles race riots
• 1966 – Reader’s Digest founder Dewitt Wallace underwrites first nationwide tour
• 1967 – The cast of Sing Out performs at the World Expo in Montreal
• 1968 – Up with People is incorporated as a non-profit organization, through the encouragement of President Dwight Eisenhower and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer
• 1969 – Up with People is received by Pope Paul VI

The 1970′s

• 1971 – Cast performs with Bob Hope for President Nixon at the White House
• 1972 – Cast performs at the Munich Olympics after the tragic massacre of Israeli athletes
• 1973 – Up with People performs two sell-out shows at Carnegie Hall in New York City
• 1974 – Cast first visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 1974 – Cast performs all summer at the World Expo-Spokane sponsored by General Electric
• 1975 – Cast first visit to Morocco and Yugoslavia
• 1975 – Up with People invited to facilitate Boston public school desegregation
• 1976 – Bicentennial tour of United States (771 cities, 3.9 million live attendance)
• 1976 – Cast performs in Super Bowl X in Miami, Florida
• 1976 – Cast first visit to Poland
• 1977 – Cast presents three Television Specials with Televisa, introduced by Anthony Quinn
• 1978 – Up with People is featured in the Kodak Centennial Tour
• 1978 – Cast first visit to People’s Republic of China
• 1979 – King Juan Carlos of Spain meets cast in Madrid

The 1980′s

• 1980 – Cast performs at Super Bowl XIV in Pasadena, California
• 1980 – General Electric Centennial Tour
• 1980 – Combined performance with Belgian National Symphony in Brussels
• 1982 – Cast performs at Super Bowl XVI in Pontiac, Michigan
• 1982 – Cast performs all summer at the World Expo-Knoxville, TN
• 1982 – Cast performs all summer at Sea World-San Diego, CA
• 1983 – Up with People is received by Pope John Paul II in Rome
• 1983 – Five Up with People casts undertake General Motors 75th Anniversary Tour – 96 plants in 56 cities on two continents
• 1984 – Invited by the King and Queen of Jordan to Amman, Jordan for the Jerash Festival
• 1985 – Cast returns to People’s Republic of China
• 1985 – Casts perform the Honeywell International Corporate Tour – Multiple N.A. & European Cities
• 1986 – Cast performs at Super Bowl XX in New Orleans – Sponsored by NFL & Pizza Hut
• 1986 – Coca Cola Centennial Anniversary features a 17-city tour of Japan
• 1987 – Cast performs at Closing Ceremony of International Summer Special Olympics
• 1988 – Cast performs at World Expo in Brisbane, Australia
• 1988 – Cast performs at Rugby Grand Finals half time show – National TV – Sponsored by Channel 7
• 1989 – Cast performs for US President George W. Bush’s Inauguration in Washington DC
• 1989 – Cast visits to USSR and Jordan – Sponsored by the Jerash Festival
• 1989 – Cast undertakes McCormick Spice Corporate Tour. USA and Canada – 12 Cities
• 1989 – Cast performs all summer at De Efteling Theme Park, The Netherlands
• 1989 – Cast is in Germany when the Berlin wall fell

The 1990′s

• 1990 – Up with People’s 25th Anniversary celebrations are held in Denver, CO
• 1990 – Soviet students travel in Up with People for the first time
• 1992 – Cast performs at Earth Summit in Brazil – Sponsored by Environmental Foundation – USA
• 1993 – Up with People relocates world headquarters from Tucson, Arizona to Denver, Colorado
• 1993 – Cast performs in Denver for Pope John Paul II and for US President Bill Clinton
• 1993 – Cast undertakes The Hershey Company Corporate 75th Anniversary Tour
• 1993 – Up with People’s urban school program, Project Pride, is launched in Los Angeles, California. Sponsored by Los Angeles School System
• 1994 – Performance in Hong Kong for Chinese New Year – Sponsored by Hong Kong Government
• 1995 – Project Pride programs take place in Tucson, Denver and San Antonio – Sponsored by US Bank
• 1995 – Up with People establishes its first formal education agreements with several US universities who will offer academic credit for UWP program completion to students who enroll at their university.
• 1996 – Cast performs at the Olympics in Atlanta and Disneyland in California – Sponsored by Disney
• 1997 – Cast tour of Japan and first study groups visit South Korea, Thailand and China. Sponsored by Toyota / IBM / Mckann Eriksson – Toyota becomes Japan Corporate Sponsor for eight years.
• 1997 – Red Cross benefit in Switzerland and projects in Portugal
• 1998 – Affiliation with America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth
• 1998 – Cast performs at World Expo in Portugal and for Scania in Sweden
• 1999 – Cast performs at Celebration of Peace with Colin Powell in Denver, Colorado
• 1999 – Corporate Sponsor ‘Chevrolet’ becomes North American Sponsor
• 1999 – Launching of the “Communities of Peace” program
• 1999 – Cast performs at International Red Cross event in Switzerland

The 2000′s

• 2000 – Casts implement “Communities of Peace” program in Boston, Denver, Omaha, San Antonio and other US cities
• 2000 – Up with People participates in and performs at World Youth Day in Rome
• 2000 – Up with People holds 35th Anniversary celebrations in Orlando, Florida
• 2000 – Up with People suspends operations
• 2004 – Up with People re-opens with the launch of a new program model called WorldSmart
• 2005 – Up with People combines the original Up with People model with that of WorldSmart and once again enrolls participants in the Up with People student program.
• 2005 – Up with People alumni cast performs at World Expo in Nagoya and in Bangkok and Phuket for the Kings Foundation.
• 2006 – Cast A 2006 is the first student tour to travel under the one-semester Up with People program model. Prior to 2000, all student tours were one year in length.
• 2007 – Up with People launches new emerging countries program in Thailand and the Philippines – performing in Manila & Bangkok
• 2007 – Up with People makes second appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City
• 2007 – Up with People participates in The United Nations Culture of Peace Forum at the UN Headquarters in New York City
• 2008 – Up with People performs in the Opening Ceremony for the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA
• 2008 – Viva la Gente (what Up with People is known as in Latin America) returns to Mexico for a five-week tour
• 2008 – Up with People completes second tour of the Philippines, with service projects in Manila and Subic Bay
• 2009 – Up with People helps Bermuda celebrate its 400th Anniversary with a month-long tour
• 2009 – Up with People visits Taiwan for the first time, with sold out performances in Taipei, Yuan Lin & Taichung
• 2009 – Viva la Gente (Up with People) returns to Mexico for a seven-city national tour
• 2009 – Up with People celebrates Vattenfall Corporate 100th Anniversary with a 12-city tour of Sweden, Poland, Germany, Denmark and Finland

The 2010′s

• 2010 – Up with People returns to Manila, Philippines for intense, month-long service projects and exciting performances
• 2010 – Up with People cast performs for Queen Silvia of Sweden
• 2011 – Up with People returns to Pasadena, California as producers and featured performers in the Opening Celebration for the 122nd Rose Parade
• 2011 – Up with People tours Grand Bahama Island for first time in company history
• 2011 – Up with People cast performs for Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
• 2011 – Up with People welcomes first campers to inaugural session of Camp UWP in Harrisonburg, Virginia
• 2011 – Up with People signs new academic partnership with Florida Southern College