From the Disney Parks Blog and written by: Darrell Fry
I was there that day. It was more than a decade ago, 15 years to be more precise, when we here at Walt Disney World Resort first opened our arms and welcomed a group of talented young teens from across the country for an innovative new mentoring program we called Disney Dreamers Academy.
I remember seeing
the wide-eyed look on their faces as they arrived, eager but unsure of the
immersive mentoring experience that, in a sense, was about to change their
lives. Just think, many of those same faces in that first program, and ones in
the subsequent groups that followed each year, today are doctors, engineers, performing
artists, humanitarians and more. Lucky enough for us, a couple of them have
even become Disney cast members.
That, of course, has
been the goal of the program all along – nurture, foster and develop the career
aspirations of hundreds and hundreds of teens around the country, particularly Black
students and those in underrepresented communities, by helping them do the one
thing we do here at Walt Disney World Resort every day: Dream.
They are immersed in
vibrant career workshops, networking sessions and mentorship events led by business
executives, community leaders and celebrities who take the career aspirations
of these students and supercharge them in ways they probably never imagined.
This year, from
March 3-6, Walt Disney World Resort will see a new group of students who will
participate in the program after being selected from thousands of applicants
who answered essay questions about their personal stories and dreams for the
future. They will be greeted by our most innovative curriculum yet, one that
involves new immersions, new educational workshops and more.
Another part of the
program’s evolution this year will be the awarding of college scholarships to
11 students from underrepresented communities attending Historically Black
Colleges and Universities through a collaboration with ESPN’s The Undefeated
and GRAMMY-nominated rap artist Cordae.
This landmark 15th
year of Disney Dreamers Academy is less than two months away and we are passionately
putting the final touches on this year’s program. But this we know for sure –
this 2022 class of Disney Dreamers Academy will build on the program’s rich
legacy, one that stands as an unmistakable example of the power of imagination
and inspiration, even among those you might least expect it.
All you have to do
is Dream!
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