South End Jazz
South End Jazz - building bridges through Jazz, is a NPO in Charlotte, NC which was founded in 2005 by Honorary German Consul Kurt G. Waldthausen.
The vision from the South End Jazz NPO is to support German-American educational exchanges on a Highschool and University level through the celebration of American Jazz. On their mission, which includes also the goal to revive the Jazz scene in the South End of Charlotte, NC, they do annual South End Jazz fundraiser event. The raised funds are use to provide scholarships to foster exchanges of high school and university students between the Charlotte Region and Germany. South End Jazz also supports German-American cultural projects with the purpose in mind to create long-term friendships and promote a better understanding between the people of Germany and the Charlotte Region and to create awareness for bi-lateral investment opportunities through the activities of South End Jazz.
Projects
Bridge building Projects undertaken by South End Jazz until 2008:
- The UNC Charlotte Foundation: stipends for several students to study in Ludwigsburg/Mannheim/Germany for a period of 6 months each.
- Pfeiffer University: financial support for visiting students from Germany to pursue their post graduate degree.
- Charlotte Mecklenburg School System (CMS): financial support to send American high-school students to Germany for a one year period as part of an exchange program.
- Financial support for the DSC - Deutsche Schule Charlotte (German Saturday School) located at Charlotte Country Day School educating German and American children and adults on week-ends in the German language and culture. The Deutsche Schule Charlotte is the oldest foreign language Saturday School in the Southeastern USA
- The World Affairs Council of Charlotte in support of educational programs.
- Public diplomacy in conjunction with the city of Charlotte, NC and the sister city Krefeld/Germany including a tree planting in the Government Park.
- The exhibit of the German artist Dieter Appelt, who exhibited his photographs at the Light Factory, Charlotte, NC.
- A joint program by International House and the McColl Center for Visual Arts promoting works of a young German artist.
- Several other projects.