DAPs Magic Disney News – PRESS RELEASE
CELEBRATION, Fla. (April 1, 2013) – In honor of National Literacy Month in March, Disney Cruise Line crew members visited schoolchildren in ports of call as part of the Reading Together educational outreach program. The crew visited schools in Grand Cayman, St. Thomas and Nassau to promote literacy and inspire children to enjoy reading.
The Disney Cruise Line Reading Together program launched 10 years ago, and since then, crew members have visited schools across The Bahamas and U.S. Virgin Islands to share stories and get children excited about reading.
“Disney is a company built on storytelling and imagination, so it’s a great fit for Disney Cruise Line to have a Reading Together program where our crew read and inspire children in their local school,” said Rena Langley, vice president of Public Affairs for Disney Cruise Line. “This is another way we become involved in the ports we call home each year.”
In addition to the Reading Together program, crew members also deliver donations of Disney children’s books to schools in to promote reading and help increase reading comprehension scores in classrooms. Since 2003 Disney Cruise Line donated enough books to impact more than 7,000 children across The Bahamas and Caribbean.
Disney Cruise Line also participates in the Governor’s Reading Challenge in the U.S. Virgin Islands. In partnership with local departments of education, Disney Cruise Line invites children from the challenge onboard a ship for the day.
Disney VoluntEARS
The Walt Disney Company, through the Disney VoluntEARS program, provides opportunities for cast and crew members to volunteer their time and expertise to positively impact communities around the world. In 2012, Disney Cruise Line VoluntEARS contributed more than 4,500 hours of service in North America and Canada, as well as ports of call across The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico and Europe. Projects ranged from youth education and wellness programs to coastal cleanups and building playgrounds.
