Program Reviews

Traveling in Up With People was an amazing experience. We didn't just visit other countries, we lived with families every place we went. I had never sung or danced before Up With People, but I was surprised by how much I loved performing and being a part of our show. We also had some very memorable community engagement opportunities, from visiting refugee camps in Scandinavia to flood clean-up in the US to helping a poor neighborhood in Mexico to renovate their homes. Traveling with the other people in the cast was the best part, in my opinion. Spending every day with people from more than 20 different nations who have all come together to learn and make the world better... it changed my perspective forever, and I am still in touch with friends around the world 25 years later. My experiences in Up With People led me to amazing international career opportunities and to lifelong friendships.

I traveled with Up with People 5 years ago. I was a backpacker before but it was so hard for me to get US and Schengen visa to travel when i was a students back then. I heard Up with People from a friend that his friend traveled in this program. For me at that moment, it was a great opportunity for me to see the world outside of Asia and i never regret for a minute with this decision. Stay with host family, travel to a new city every week and volunteer work have give me so many opportunity to do new stuff, meet new friends and there are so many "aha" moment on the tour that just broad my horizon.I don't know there is a show though, and i never sing or dance before in my life, but it turn out to be a high and super memorable experience when i look back my Up with People experience.

When I came to this programme I had no idea what to expect. I just packed up my bags and showed up in Denver. After going through some ups and downs learning the songs, the dances, the names, the people, the travels, the courses, and of course the program, I found such a weird family of loveable goofballs I never wanted to leave. We would sing in public together, go on crazy city exploring adventures, laugh about how we were broke and then adventure some more. I learned so much about so many different cultures and people and cities and just about the world around me. But something I never imagined was that I’d feel like a sister to someone from Switzerland, or have a best friend in Texas, or meet other people from Bermuda. Now not only do I have so many new skills to put on a resume and college application, but I have a home in at least 25 different countries around the world.
So something I would say is people ask me “Why Travel” and my response is “Why not?”

Up with people is changing. There’s a before and after up with people. Why? Because you grow in every single aspect of your life, your mind understands new things that maybe you didn’t see before but they were always there, you learn how to truly love everyone no matter what your differences are, you become adaptable to any situation because you get to be in a new city every week so everything is changing all the time, and very very important you get to know yourself, what you want, and how much you have left to do in your life. it motivates you to start new projects and to do things that maybe you wouldn’t have done before. plus it’s fun, you travel so much and get involved in cultures, languages and communities as well as finding a new family that Will always support and be there no Matter what
it’s super amazing!!

I spent about 2 years in uwp as a student and staff member. I’m not lying when I say my best memories are from those two years. I’ve made life long friends, mentors, and family through this program. It’s not for people who aren’t willing to put in effort and commitment to others and the countries you visit. It’s not for people who don’t want to be pushed out of your comfort zone. It will bring the best out in you, it will show you sides of yourself you didn’t know you had. It’s a 6 month or year commitment and it’s not free, so putting in as much as you want to get out of Up with People is IMPORTANT! I’ve seen myself transform in a matter of 6 months. My family didn’t recognize me because they saw a new confidence I never had. Don’t pass this up!

This program is NOT for the unmotivated or slackers, however anybody else will both thrive and grow in a multitude of ways. The combination of Cultural education, service work, and personal and professional growth is unparalleled in any other experience I have had in my life. I had the opportunity to do a full year of Up with People in 2013-2014 then from there went to university. Even after completing two degrees in University and studying abroad for 6 months in Buenos Aires I still know I grew more in my one year of Up with People than 4 years of University. It took me from being a super vanilla version of myself to the person I truly was meant to be. Literally would recommend to anyone looking to better themselves and better the world. You truly won't regret it.

I travelled with Up With People in 2017, and I can honestly say that it was the most changing-life experience I've had in my life. The program takes you on challenges and out of your confort zone in a way that no program does. Traveling with 100 people from 20 different countries opens your vision of the world, you start to understand that we are all connected somehow. With it's incredible educational program, you'll learn to listen, understand and respect other cultures and to have an open mind. The volunteer part of the program is an incredible opportunity that there's always ways of helping the world, it doesn't matter if you are in Mexico or in Switzerland, there's always something you can do, and doing it with 100 people that are here for the same reason you are, it's an amazing opportunity.

Overall the Up with Program is an exceptional opportunity to travel, make connections, volunteer, meet people from all over the world, and perform

I can easily say Up with People changed my life, in so many ways. (I traveled for 5 semesters...one as a participant and 4 as staff.) I have learned so much about the world, about cultures, about performing, and most importantly about myself. Up with People has given me skills and experiences I will take with me for the rest of my life. One of my favourite parts about this program though, is the people. The host families, the other participants and staff... I have made so many life-long connections and friendships. My other favourite part is that while you are having the time of your life, you're helping others. You're learning about the communities you're visiting and learning about how to create change. It's an amazing chance to be able to make a difference in people's lives and give back.

Main reason why I joined UWP is to be comfortable with communicating in English.
After I traveled for a year with UWP, I went back to college and I realized my ability to communicate in English was more fluent than most of students who did study abroad program.

Here is why I think UWP is good place to learn English.
UWP is about understanding each other.
I never felt judged because of my English.
We never have English class like language school,
however, because of those amazing people from all over the world,
I was always so motivated to gain more English skill to communicate with my friend.
I just wanted to get know them and learn from them.
And I believe pure motivation and curiosity are the key to learn any skills.

Another reason why is the safe environment that this program create.
To achieve something, we all need experience failing.
People grow so much in UWP because they experience this cycle in such a supportive environment.

So, If anyone is looking for opportunities to learn English, I highly recommend this program!

My main question when planning my gap year was: how do I accomplish all the things I'm interested in... in just one year? Up with People was the only organization that combined so many of my passions and interests in one program!

The fact that I was able to travel each week to a different city gave me a true feeling of embarking on a world tour. And since I was surrounded by 100 people from 15-20 countries, it really felt like I was traveling around the world WITH the world.

The volunteering we did in each community provided a rich blend of experiences. Whether we were interacting with children whose only insight into the world outside of their home was our international presence in their classroom, or serving meals for the homeless and listening to their stories of hardship but also hope, or even providing the manual labor needed to clean/build/restore community areas... it was always a meaningful experience for all parties.

Music is another component that makes this program so unique, and the best way to bring the world together. I had no performing arts experience prior to traveling with Up with People, but the life skills I learned from standing on stage and projecting to audiences of 1000+ each week, combined with the feeling of togetherness that comes with performing with 100 young people from around the world, made this an invaluable experience.

But the most life-changing part of this program that can't be explained until you experience it, is the personal development component. Each day on tour, Up with People's experiential learning curriculum created a space like NO OTHER for us to share our opinions, challenge our world views, and see society through the lens of our group's vast diversity. I came away from this program with an unapologetic feeling of hope that young people have what it takes to take meaningful action around the world and change it for the better.

People say that without intention, a gap year abroad can be a waste of time. Up with People is at the top of the intention mountain!