Disney has announced that the Disney Dreamers Academy is changing. As the program approaches its 20th Anniversary, a new pilot with Boys & Girls Clubs replaces the national, annual class of 100 high school students. Disney announced the pilot today for middle school Club members in Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, and Houston, with the first class of 200 students to be announced in October and programming starting in January 2027. Here’s the latest.
Disney Dreamers Academy Replaces National Program With Boys & Girls Clubs Pilot
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- The pilot replaces the national class of 100 high school students.
- Boys & Girls Clubs in four metropolitan areas will select 200 students, with programming starting in January 2027.
- Disney outlines year-round programming, local mentorship, and a two-year investment.
Disney calls the Disney Dreamers Academy program change an evolution and says the program will keep reaching students from a wide range of backgrounds. Walt Disney World has selected 100 high school students across the country each year for nearly two decades. Disney says more than 1,800 students have taken part since the program launched in 2008.
The new pilot fits into a larger plan to expand Disney Dreamers Academy into a year-round, multi-year experience that reaches students earlier and keeps them connected over time. Sivonne Davis, Vice President of Marketing Strategy, said the pilot builds on what the program has already done. “I’ve seen firsthand the confidence, connections and opportunities Disney Dreamers Academy has provided students over the past 19 years,” Davis said.
Disney developed the pilot with participating Boys & Girls Clubs and youth development experts. According to Disney, it chose the four locations based on its existing presence and relationships with families and organizations in each community. We understand the choices also reflect where Disney’s guests travel from and where the company already does philanthropic work.
Disney’s work with Boys & Girls Clubs is extensive, and it predates the pilot. That includes the Rock Star Robotics Center at the Walt Disney World Clubhouse, which offers STEM training in Orlando.
How the Boys & Girls Clubs Pilot Works
Participating Boys & Girls Clubs will select the students in the first class, which will include 200 Disney Dreamers. That works out to 50 students in each market. Disney said the pilot draws on the connections Clubs have with the young people and families they serve. That approach also sustains the program’s commitment to empowering diverse populations of students, according to Disney.
Tajiana Ancora-Brown, Director of External Affairs, said the goal is to reach students earlier and closer to home. “This next chapter is about meeting students where they are and helping them discover what’s possible for their future at an earlier age,” Ancora-Brown said.
Walt Disney World will invest across participating Boys & Girls Clubs during the program’s first two years, spanning the current school year and the 2027-28 school year.
What Disney Dreamers Will Experience
Students will take part in a mix of virtual and in-person experiences designed to support their personal and academic growth. Disney outlined four parts of the programming:
- Year-round programming: hands-on experiences, workshops and interactive programming led by Disney Cast Members and experts, covering subjects from engineering to animal sciences.
- Mentorship: connections with Disney Cast Members and fellow Dreamers, including professionals whose backgrounds and experiences may reflect the students’ own.
- Continued support: activities meant to build confidence and leadership skills while strengthening ties to mentors, peers and local communities.
- Disney experiences: programming inside local Boys & Girls Clubs, plus visits to Walt Disney World.
Mentorship will include leaders from students’ local communities, and Disney Cast Members will keep taking part through the programming and mentoring. Jamie Merrill, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, described what the pilot offers Club members. “Programs like this create the exposure and opportunities that help our young people dream beyond their circumstances and see new possibilities for their future,” Merrill said.
Disney will host an October kickoff event in Orlando before visits to Miami, Atlanta and Houston. Disney has not announced dates for those events.
Pilot students will also visit Walt Disney World, similar to how past program participants have visited The Most Magical Place on Earth. Timing on growing the pilot beyond Orlando, Miami, Atlanta and Houston remains unknown. Disney said it will share additional details about the program’s next chapter in the coming months.
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