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100 high school students to be selected for Disney Dreamers Academy

High school students can apply now for the 2020 Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence magazine. This annual life-changing mentoring program will take place March 12-15, 2020, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The application window is open now through October 31, 2019. With celebrity speakers, out-of-the-classroom learning and countless emotional moments, the program helps 100 select student, ages 13-19, from across the United States, jump-start their life goals and pursue their dreams.

Disney Dreamers Academy turns the entire magical setting of Walt Disney World into a vibrant classroom. Students participate in a series of sessions and workshops designed to help them imagine bright futures, make exciting discoveries and learn how to put their goals into action. Disney Dreamers engage in a wide variety of experiences at Walt Disney World while working side by side with celebrities, community and industry leaders and Disney cast members.

For more than a decade, Disney Dreamers Academy has inspired young people from across the country by fueling their dreams and showing them a world of possibilities as they prepare for the future. Each year, students participate in hands-on, immersive career seminars in a wide range of disciplines found at Walt Disney World. Students learn how to improve their communication skills, discover what it means to be a leader and acquire networking strategies, among other skills. They are also inspired by celebrity speakers and other special guests who share their stories and provide insights on how to achieve their life goals.

Disney Dreamers Academy is focused on challenging young people to relentlessly pursue their dreams through the “Be 100” campaign. This aspirational initiative is inspired by the powerful impact Disney Dreamers Academy has made on graduates, who have gone on to become doctors, nurses, engineers, pilots, journalists and more. Some have started their own public relations firms, while others have worked with national political leaders.

Applicants must answer essay questions about their personal journeys and dreams for the future. Students are selected based on a combination of attributes, including strong character, positive attitude and determination to achieve their dreams. A parent or guardian accompanies each student on the trip.

This four-day, all-expenses-paid experience at Walt Disney World will continue to help change the lives of young people in 2020. For more information or to apply, visit DisneyDreamersAcademy.com.

Disney Dreamer1
NE-YO poses with an attendee at the Disney reception that kicked off the opening of the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Miami, Fla., earlier this month. The Grammy Award-winning artist is a mentor for Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine and was on hand to share the news that applications are now being accepted for the 2020 class. (Photo by Harrison Cooney)
Disney Dreamer2
ACTOR-SINGER JD MCCRARY snaps a selfie with an attendee at the Disney reception that kicked off the opening of the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Miami, Fla. McCrary is the voice of Young Simba in the blockbuster feature Disney’s “The Lion King” and a mentor for Disney Dreamers Academy. (Photo by Harrison Cooney)
Ne YO 2
SINGER-SONGWRITER NE-YO joins Disney Dreamers Academy alumnus Anthony Juba-Richardson, singer and actor JD McCrary, and ESSENCE Magazine Director of Entertainment Cori Murray during the Disney reception that kicked off the opening of the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Miami, Fla., earlier this month. The group met with some of the more than 3,000 conference attendees to share the news that applications are now being accepted for the 2020 Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine. (Photo by Harrison Cooney)
Miss Delaware
DISNEY DREAMERS ACADEMY 2019 alumna Jacqueline Means returned to Walt Disney World Resort recently with a new title – Miss Delaware’s Outstanding Teen. The visit was a chance for Jacqueline to show her new tiara to her favorite Disney character, Princess Tiana, at the Magic Kingdom Park. Jacqueline’s visit coincided with her participation in the national Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition held in Orlando. Jacqueline’s passion for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) led her to launch the Wilmington STEM Initiative, where she brings STEM lessons to the underprivileged girls of her hometown, Wilmington, Delaware. (Photo by Abigail Nilsson)

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