UW’s Spoken Word & Urban Arts Learning Community |  In fall 2007, UW–Madison will welcome its first batch of fifteen students to the First Wave Spoken Word & Urban Arts Learning Community. In it, students will live in a close-knit, multicultural university community, where they will explore all sides of urban arts — the first program of its kind in the country. Students accepted to First Wave will have strong academic backgrounds, demonstrated leadership skills and significant artistic talent and potential. Students will take courses together, participate in internships and service-learning programs, and learn all aspects of performance arts, from performing and writing to organizing and marketing an event. Film, music, dance and intellectual property issues will all be part of the journey.
Just as beat writers and rock ‘n’ roll transformed pop culture in the ’60s, so will First Wave students transform the campus at UW-Madison! Students will play a key role in bringing dynamic cultural activities to campus, including showcases, open mics, poetry slams, workshops and performances with renowned spoken word and hip-hop artists. These interactive activities will stimulate participation among students of color, as well as the majority of young people across campus. |
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| Recruitment efforts to identify potential First Wave students have been conducted throughout Wisconsin, the Midwest and the nation through ground-breaking outreach efforts which have made UW-Madison a national leader in the areas of spoken word and hip-hop community building. Through its partnerships in Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and 10 other cities throughout the U.S., UW-Madison has identified grass-roots, school-based and after-school clubs and organizations that have used spoken word and hip-hop as vehicles for youth empowerment and leadership formation. These organizations, along with school-based spoken word clubs in all of Madison’s major high schools, form the pipeline for First Wave recruits.
Securing fifteen annual scholarships for current and future students of First Wave is the program’s top funding priority. These scholarships will be all-inclusive for top recruits, covering tuition, food and housing, and, at a minimum, assist all First Wave students with the cost of housing and meals.
Gifts to First Wave in any amount are sought and welcomed. Gift opportunities include annual funding for scholarships, which may be named for you or someone you wish to honor. Endowment gifts, also named, are encouraged to help ensure the long-term viability of the program. Gifts at this level provide support for a scholarship in perpetuity, and will allow generations of First Wave students to realize their educational goals. |
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