The Disney Dreamers Academy will be returning to Walt Disney World Resort this year for its 15th year of mentorship and fostering dreams of Black students and teens from underrepresented communities. This year, the program has been reimagined for the outstanding high school students that will be participating in it.
The reimagined Disney Dreamers Academy will be returning March 3-6, 2022. As part of its continued efforts to help foster the dreams of these young leaders, there will be some new experiences available. They will include career-building workshops, networking sessions, mentorship connections, and also introductions to future professional opportunities both inside Disney and also beyond.
Another new initiative of the Disney Dreamers Academy this year is partnering with ESPN’s The Undefeated and also GRAMMY-nominated rap artist Cordre to award scholarships to college scholarships to 11 students that are from underrepresented communities attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Disney is committed to supporting diverse communities, such as Black America through initiatives like the Disney Dreamers Academy. It is hoped that it will encourage the next generation to think big and also to carry on what they learn back with them with the goal of empowering them to pursue dreams and make a difference.
“We are excited and honored to celebrate 15 years of Disney Dreamers Academy with this year’s class,” said Tracey D. Powell, Walt Disney World Resort Vice President and Disney Dreamers Academy executive champion. “We’ve embraced this opportunity to amplify the event, and we’re thrilled to introduce new experiences, new career programs and new mentors.”
The Disney Dreamers Academy began in 2008. Since then, over 1,300 students have participated and been empowered as they get inspired to pursue their dreams. Some of the participants have gone on to become doctors, nurses, engineers, pilots, journalists, and more. Many have also become mentors for the Disney Dreamers who follow. This includes the event speaker Princeton Parks (Class of 2011) who went on to become a Disney cast member.
Disney Dreamers are selected each year from thousands of applicants who answer essay questions about their personal stories along with their dreams for the future. Those students who are selected are then given an all-expenses-paid trip to Walt Disney World Resort for the event along with a parent or guardian. 100 students are selected for this program.
During the event, Disney Dreamers experience many different things to help inspire them. This includes hearing stories from community and business leaders, Disney cast members, celebrities, and other special guests.
These Disney Dreamers engage in a wide variety of experiences at Walt Disney World while working side-by-side with and hearing inspirational stories from community and business leaders, Disney cast members, celebrities, and other special guests. During the sessions, they are taught valuable life skills that focus on leadership skills, effective communication techniques, and also networking strategies. They also experience career workshops that focus on a wide range of disciplines that connect with students’ dreams. Students can experience career possibilities in business, entertainment, and sciences. They also can see potential career opportunities within The Walt Disney Company.
There have been multiple celebrity participants through the years that include stars from both the big screen and television, sports figures, popular musicians, and also personalities and cast members from Disney from places liked Good Morning America, ESPN, Disney Channel, and the TV series black-ish and grown-ish.
For more information about the Disney Dreamers Academy, visit DisneyDreamersAcademy.com. Updates can also be found on the Disney Dreamers Academy social media pages as well.
