Applications Now Open for Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort

 100 high school students to be selected for all-expenses-paid mentoring experience of a lifetime

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Applications are being accepted now through Oct. 31, 2018, for the Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence magazine. This annual outside-the-classroom mentoring program is scheduled for March 21-24, 2019, at the Walt Disney Resort in Florida. The program helps 100 select high school students, 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. Participants learn how to improve their communication skills, what it means to be a leader and 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.

The second decade of Disney Dreamers Academy is focused on challenging young people to relentlessly pursue their dreams through the “Be 100” campaign. This promotional push 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 2019. For more information or to apply, visit DisneyDreamersAcademy.com.

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Walt Disney World Resort
Annette Gibbs, Public Relations Manager
Annette.gibbs@disney.com
(407) 566-5337

TJM Communications, Inc.
Joel Kaiman, joel@tjmcommunications.com
(352) 262-3457 or (407) 977-5004
Katie Neumann, katie@tjmcommunications.com
(407) 977-5004

Walt Disney World Resort Celebrates American Indian Culture in New Gallery Exhibition

“Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art” debuts inside The American Adventure pavilion at Epcot

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (July 27, 2018) – American Indian history and culture come to life in a new art exhibition at Walt Disney World Resort that debuted July 27. “Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art” at Epcot displays the work of contemporary Native artists alongside artifacts from centuries past, demonstrating how ancestral craftsmanship influences modern generations.

The exhibition opened at the American Heritage Gallery inside The American Adventure pavilion. The 89 pieces on display represent 40 different American Indian tribes from seven geographic regions across the United States.

“At Epcot, guests are invited to celebrate the limitless possibilities of human imagination and innovation.” said Melissa Valiquette, vice president of Epcot. “By showcasing artwork from so many diverse American Indian tribes, ‘Creating Tradition’ is a wonderful way to share a vital part of the United States’ culture with all those who visit The American Adventure.”

Highlights from the collection include:

• Fashion designer Loren Aragon (Acoma Pueblo) used the patterns on a jar made in the 1900s by an Acoma Pueblo potter as inspiration for his “Ancient Resonance” dress.
• A Pokagon Potawatomi black ash hamper basket, made in the early 1900s, is paired with modern baskets, exemplifying how this technique is maintained over centuries. For example, on display is “Mother’s Womb,” a basket made by Cherish Nebeshanze Parrish (Potawatomi/Odawa) in 2011.
• A Chilkat blanket from Alaska dating to the 1890s complements “Raven and the Box of Daylight,” a 2017 glass sculpture by Preston Singletary (Tlingit). This piece shows how Singletary experiments with designs from his Tlingit heritage in mediums beyond traditional Native materials.

“Creating Tradition” also offers three interactive video exhibits where contemporary American Indian artists share perspectives on their work and culture. When guests wave their hands in front of a display resembling a campfire, the “flames” transform into a video presentation. Music playing in the gallery, performed by Native musicians, supports the objects and regions represented throughout the exhibition.

The new art exhibition is produced in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Leaders from both cultural institutions were on hand for the gallery opening.

“I am delighted to recognize this association with Disney as their leadership shares the vision and creativity of contemporary American Indian artists with international visitors,” said Kevin Gover (Pawnee), director of the National Museum of the American Indian. “We hope Epcot visitors will see the American experience begins with the American Indians who have always been here.”

“We are honored to collaborate with Walt Disney Imagineering and the Smithsonian in developing this exhibition,” said Della Warrior (Otoe-Missouria), director of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. “Hopefully, it will foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the various tribes located in almost every state in this nation, and people seeing these artifacts will be inspired and strive to learn more about American Indians.”

The dedication ceremony for “Creating Tradition” included a blessing from Seminole Tribe of Florida representative Bobby Henry and a stomp dance performance by Seminole tribe members.

During the next five years, the exhibition will feature new artifacts and refreshed displays, incorporating pieces from more of the 573 American Indian tribes recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (www.bia.gov).

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Acoma Pueblo jar courtesy of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 12055/12
“Mother’s Womb” © 2018 National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, 26/8835
Tlingit Chilkat blanket courtesy of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 26160/12