VERO BEACH — By the time Up with People’s Cast A 2013 leaves Vero Beach after their performances at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center on March 1 and 2, a number of local young people will begin the process of planning for their own tour with a future Up with People cast.
Each year hundreds of young men and women between the ages of 17-29 apply to join the international, educational, and cultural program for a one or two semester experience that visits diverse communities on a multi-continent tour.
“Travel with a purpose. Perform for thousands. Impact communities. These are the foundational elements Up with People provides young people in our unique global education program,” explained Colleen Eastman, Manager of Enrollment for Up with People.
“During the past four decades, over 21,000 participants who have traveled in Up with People have gone on to become enthusiastic leaders in their communities and the world.
Equipped with the life skills and broad perspectives learned ‘on the road,’ they have made tremendous differences through a wide variety of diverse career and life choices and have truly become global citizens. We hope future casts will include young ambassadors from Vero Beach,” said Eastman.
Each participant will have the opportunity to travel, live, and learn with 100 fellow cast members from an average of 20 different countries requiring them to work cooperatively while exploring the similarities and differences of people from other nations, religions, and cultures.
A typical semester tour will take participants to more than 20 cities on a multi-region odyssey experiencing the languages, sights, and cultural experiences unique to each region visited.
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 personal perspective of day-to-day life in that corner of the world while sharing lifestyles and experiences.
Social responsibility and dedication to community service are core to the mission and character of the Up with People program. As such, local service projects are an integral part of the cast’s time in each city they visit. By giving back through these activities and projects, participants develop insights into the importance of identifying and addressing local needs.
Up with People is one of the world’s pre-eminent global experiential education programs. Each city becomes a classroom and learning laboratory. Up with People also has an academic partnership with Florida Southern College that allows students who enroll in the program to earn 12 hours of transferable academic credit.
Up with People was founded on the principle of utilizing the international language of music as a means to communicate and inspire people. In each city the cast visits, participants perform in a vibrant and inspiring musical stage show in the community.
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 a candidate’s character and maturity. To apply, candidates 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 those interested in learning more about traveling with a future Up with People cast, a special backstage tour and the opportunity to meet members of the cast and staff are available. Up with People will also be interviewing young men and women in Vero Beach following the public performance on March 2 at the VBHS Performing Arts Center.
For more information, please contact Oscar Nissen at (303) 515-1607 or by email at ONissen@UpWithPeople.org.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students, seniors, and children, and $100 for patrons. They will be on sale at the VBHS Performing Arts Center Box Office, the Admiral and Pelican branches of Marine Bank and Trust, or online at www.UpWthPeople.org/VeroBeach.
Up with People’s visit to Vero Beach is sponsored by the McDonald/Cunningham Family Foundation. The Gifford Youth Activity Center, the Dasie Hope Center, and the Vero Beach High School Tribe Pride Program are the beneficiaries of the shows.
Up with People is an independent nonprofit, 501(C)3 organization without any religious or political affiliations. It provides young adults an international and intercultural experience that teaches service leadership and uses the performing arts to deliver messages of hope and goodwill throughout the world.
Up with People exists today 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.
For more information, please visit the website www.UpwWthPeople.org.
