They’ve been empowering the next generation for 17 years!
Recently, the Disney Dreamers Academy brought together a diverse group of 100 students from all corners of the U.S. for a life-affirming 4-day experience at the iconic Walt Disney World Resort. Since its inception in 2008, this unique program has been a lighthouse for aspiring youth, offering a rare mentoring opportunity to Black high school students and teens from underserved communities. It’s a platform that not only enhances their career awareness but also opens doors to a world of access and opportunities.
The event kicked off with a vibrant marching band led by Drum Major Mickey, alongside members of the Divine Nine and former drum majors from Bethune-Cookman University and Hampton University. “Disney on the Yard,” the company’s initiative to connect with HBCUs, was present to foster connections between students and historically Black colleges and universities, ensuring a support system for students even after high school graduation. Students were then showered with virtual well-wishes from star-studded celebrity influencers, including Queen Latifah, Questlove, Patti LaBelle, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Dreambassador and Disney actress Dara Reneé (High School Musical) also joined the teens, drawing from her journey as an ambitious 15-year-old, to offer heartfelt words of encouragement to attendees.
“I believed in myself when no one else did…I had to decide what I wanted and stepped into it…Disney Dreamers Academy is about investing in yourself…bring your whole self to the table and know that you are here for a reason,” Reneé reassured the students, instilling a sense of confidence and self-belief.
Disney Dreamers Academy Executive Champion Tracey Powell led the festivities, encouraging the students and their parents to lean into the experience alongside Academy Alumni mentor Princeton Parker.
“Your voice is the most formative in the life of your child. The greatest investment in the dreams of your children is to reclaim your own,” Parker told parents.
A mom of four, Powell sat down with the parents and chaperones to emphasize the importance of championing a world of possibility for their young people that encourages them to step into their highest selves. The inclusive approach encouraged parents to be actively involved in their children’s self-discovery while fostering a supportive environment. Powell joined the students and beloved Disney characters like Princess Tiana for an opening parade down the streets of Magic Kingdom as hundreds of Walt Disney World guests cheered them on for this momentous occasion.
The students were chosen from a pool of thousands of applicants nationwide and were invited along with their parent or guardian for an all-expense paid trip to Walt Disney World. The program, generously sponsored by AT&T, Sprite, and Delta Airlines, encourages students to gain clarity in the pursuit of their dreams. The Academy offers a range of career-focused workshops, leadership seminars, and celebrity-led presentations and activations. This year’s attendees included radio host and comedian Rickey Smiley, entrepreneur Daymond John of ABC’s Shark Tank, actor Lance Gross, and 4x Olympic Gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross, providing the students with relatable role models and unparalleled learning and growth opportunities.
In the “Living Laboratories,” a series of interactive career mentorship workshops led by Disney cast members, students explored everything from culinary careers to marine biology and animal science. In the engineering laboratory, students sat down with inventor Lanny Smoot, the only person at the Walt Disney Company to have ever been inducted into the Hall of Fame other than Walter Elias Disney himself. Smoot holds 106 patents and spoke with the students about several new inventions on the horizon, the importance of finding community, and why you must love your work.
“I do this for young people of color like me, who often don’t see that there are imagineers and engineers out in the world like me…You should love what you do. Please don’t enter a career that you just kind of like because you’re going to be doing it for the rest of your life. The way to be really good at what you do is to do a lot of it, and to do a lot of it, you have to really like it,” said Smoot.
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Richards-Ross added to the dynamic programming with an intimate conversation with parents alongside her mother, Sharon Richards. The two discussed both sides of Richards-Ross’ journey as a dreamer, from student-athlete to Olympic gold medalist. They offered sound advice for the chaperones and highlighted the importance of parental support and a village as children pursue their dreams.
“The one differentiator was the love and support I got from my parents. It wasn’t talent, it wasn’t hard work—all the athletes had that—it was the love and support,” said Richards-Ross.
The week continued with more magical moments that left the teens on a high, filled with empowering knowledge and tools to pursue the next chapter of their lives. There were makeovers, parties, and more notable public figures like 2x Paralympic Gold medalist Trevon Jenifer, legendary radio personality Big Tigger, rising artist Samara Cyn, and art activist Nikkolas Smith (Black Panther Wakanda Forever), who all joined in on the fun for some candid moments with the young people and the opportunity to impart wisdom in at least one person’s life.
As the transformational experience came to a close, students reflected on how the Academy expanded their world of possibility, expounding on their original dreams and the inspiration behind them. 15-year-old Kiera Johnson’s face lit up when explaining how her role as volleyball captain inspired her to become a drone engineer, a career path she had never considered that could truly shake up the world of sports. Similarly, burgeoning Atlanta soccer player, 15-year-old Amir Mason, described how playing video games inspired him to pursue a career in urban planning, a field he now sees as a way to make a real difference in his community.
“I’m really into urban studies and city planning. I want to revolutionize how we think of cities, making them more walkable, making them more sustainable. Especially equitable for all because there are a lot of racial disparities in cities in regard to redlining and homelessness, and it just goes on and on…It comes from playing SimCity on my phone at a young age, and then it just grew into a hobby of scouring Google Earth, and it’s just developed into this dream,” Amir told Because Of Them We Can.
Julia Andrews, a 15-year-old student from Washington, D.C., also elaborated on her dreams of developing transitional low-income housing in her neighborhood, and Camille Satterwhite Rambert, another 15-year-old Atlanta student, spoke optimistically about her goal of launching a youth-focused film company to amplify her message of Black girl magic.
“I believe that representation is so important. It matters, especially in the media, because we’re growing up in a technology generation. So just being an inspiration for [other] Black girls, it means a lot to me, and it’s a big role that you have to carry but I’m doing it,” Camille told BOTWC.
During the weeklong programming, 16-year-old Te’Lario Watkins II also got the surprise of a lifetime. FUBU Founder Daymond John invited Watkins to personally join him on set for a taping of ‘Shark Tank,” admitting he was impressed by the teen’s work after meeting him during the labs. Watkins is the proud owner of Tiger Mushroom Farms, a business he started at just seven years old, where he focuses on cultivating gourmet mushrooms and selling his line of dry mushroom products. The Ohio teen also launched a non-profit called the Garden Club Project, where he sells his homegrown food in an effort to address issues of food insecurity.
The week ended with a rousing, spirit-filled commencement ceremony where the students received Disney Dreamers Academy rings, heard closing remarks from all who joined the process, and celebrated themselves and their peers for their commitment. On the last full day of activities, Dr. Johnetta Cole, the first Black woman President of Spelman College, invited the students to a heartfelt conversation, where she encouraged the youth to have radical faith and left the teens with some essential gems as they embarked on a glorious adventure to impact the world.
“You are the only future I’ve got,” Dr. Cole told students. “Faith is find[ing] a way to believe that when you jump, one of two things will happen, you’ll either sprout wings or the ground is going to come up to meet your feet…Dream the biggest, scariest thing you can imagine. Then you got to put in the work,” she added.
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For 17 years, Walt Disney World Resort has been hosting the Disney Dreamers Academy initiative, championing predominantly Black teens and students from underrepresented communities as they embark on career exploration. As the Disney Dreamers Class of 2024 students go off into the world, the life tools, leadership skills, and networking opportunities they’ve received are invaluable. To date, the Academy has inspired more than 1,600 students nationwide, with graduates going on to be successful as engineers, entrepreneurs, performing artists, and more. Many DDA alums, like Parker, have transitioned into mentors for the program, a true testament to the full circle impact companies can have in shaping the next generation of changemakers.
For more information on this outstanding program and details on submitting your teen’s application for next year’s Academy, visit www.DisneyDreamersAcademy.com.
Cover photo: Here’s How Disney Is Transforming the Lives of Black Students With Its 4-Day Dreamers Academy/Photo Courtesy of Disney Dreamers Academy