The Wait is Over, Applications for Disney Dreamers Academy Class of 2024 Are Open!
For those of you that have been waiting (*me!), the time has come! Disney Dreamers Academy (DDA) applications for the class of 2024 are now open! If you've been following me for any amount of time, you'd know how special and important this program is to me. If you're new here, welcome and keep reading!
DDA is a mentoring program hosted annually at Walt Disney World Resort to foster the dreams of Black students and teens from underrepresented communities. For the past 17 years, DDA has inspired over 1,500 students from across the country. Students are given a chance to learn from industry leaders and many Dreamers have gone on to pursue careers in medicine, entertainment, and entrepreneurship, and some have now become alumni mentors to Disney Dreamers.
Award-winning gospel recording artist Pastor Mike Jr., former Disney Dreamer Princeton Parker and news anchor Sade Baderinwa joined Disney Dreamers Academy executive champion Tracey Powell on stage at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans, LA on July 2, 2023. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
At the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans, LA, Walt Disney World took center stage in an informational session and announced the opening of applications for the upcoming class of 2024. DDA mentors, champions, and speakers Pastor Mike, Jr. (Award-winning Gospel artist), Tracey D. Powell (Disney Signature Experiences VP), and Princeton Parker (DDA Alum turned Disney Cast Member) shared the exciting news with thousands of attendees at ESSENCE and spoke with News Anchor, Sade Baderinwa about their experience with DDA and their passion for the program and its importance for the students and their communities.
For the first time this year, students who seek to achieve their dreams by attending DDA can also be nominated for the program by someone in their life. Applications and nominations are open through October 2023 (in past years it has closed on Halloween). Students tend to hear around the holiday season if they are accepted and the program is held typically in the spring. 100 students are selected from Black and underrepresented communities across America to embark on a four-day transformational event at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, where they'll dive deep into personal and career development, and connect with their peers to learn and grow.
Shared from Disney's press announcement - “Inspiring others is my passion, and it is also the core of Disney Dreamers Academy, which is why I’m so proud to affiliate myself with this program,” said Pastor Mike Jr. “I’ve seen how passionate these students are and I would encourage all students to apply or nominate a fellow Disney Dreamer for this once-in-a-lifetime transformative event.”
DDA is truly an amazing program that offers students a chance of a lifetime to learn more about who they are and aspire to be, exposure to various career paths, and opportunities for mentorship and leadership experiences. As a mom of a dreamer (Class of 2018), I can attest to this experience being life-changing for everyone in attendance, including the chaperone! You can read about my past coverage here and check out my stories on Instagram.
To be honest, I'm not sure what the 2024 event will look like but I am excited to find out and believe it will be amazing. The class of 2023 was treated to some amazing opportunities, including hearing from and being mentored by the DDA Celebrity Ambassador and mentor, Halle Bailey. Our Ariel took center stage empowering our Dreamers, sharing some of her struggles being chosen for the live-action film "The Little Mermaid," and also the joy and responsibility that she took on when accepting the role. The Dreamers were ecstatic when it was announced that she would be their Celebrity Ambassador. Halle even hosted two of the Dreamers to the red-carpet premiere of the film. Needless to say, the Dreamers were left empowered to keep moving forward., to be 100, and know the best is yet to come. Some may have left with new passions, others had their career paths confirmed, but I hope all left with a heart full of courage to move towards the direction THEY each desired.
“The Little Mermaid'' star Halle Bailey surprises Disney Dreamers Academy students and aspiring filmmakers Madison Henderson (Los Angeles) and Dylan Jones (Atlanta) at Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on March 24, 2023. While the students participated in a movie production session, Bailey surprised them with a personal invitation to join her at the premiere of “The Little Mermaid” in Los Angeles, Calif. in May. (Charlene Morrison, photographer)
If you wanna know more, visit DisneyDreamersAcademy.com, or follow DDA on social media at Facebook.com/DisneyDreamersAcademy, Twitter.com/DreamersAcademy & Instagram.com/disneydreamersacademy/.
About Disney Dreamers Academy:
Established by Walt Disney World in 2008, Disney Dreamers Academy’s mission is to inspire teens from Black and underrepresented communities to dream beyond imagination by providing life-long access to personalized support for the Disney Dreamer, their caregivers and community through insightful content and uplifting experts, mentors and sponsors. Each year, 100 high school students are awarded a trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida to experience this four-day immersive and transformational program.
