Ushering in a New Era

Following his emotional and moving performance last week at Michael Jackson's memorial, multi-hyphenate Usher Raymond is following in the footsteps of the iconic superstar with the official launch of Camp New Look.

"I felt that it was important to involve myself in an enterprise that [provided] results for a group of young people..." Usher says in his founding statement. He goes on to say "Through Camp New Look, we are creating new paths of entry and opportunities to learn and improve skills and are supporting the growth and success of young people from disadvantage circumstances."

The singer, actor (he recently wrapped filming on "Five Killers" with Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl) and father of two boys (he is currently separated and preparing to divorce his wife, Tameka Foster) hopes to provide youth a different perspective through education by expanding their interests in athletics, music and entertainment. The camp allows 130 children to head to his native Atlanta to immerse themselves in the business behind entertaining.

Programs includes mentoring and internship opportunities, and campers are also encouraged to document their experiences through various forms of media with exposure to production, creative writing and performance.

"I paid close attention to what celebrities like Michael Jackson had done with his brand," Raymond told Kelly Carter of USA Today. "He made philanthropy something that was kind of like a sense of heart work, and not hard work. All of the hard work went into who he was as a celebrity; the heart work made a difference. "