In a celebration at the John H. Harland Boys & Girls Club in southwest Atlanta, Walt Disney World and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta announced the first cohort of 50 middle‑school students chosen for the expanded Disney Dreamers Academy. The program, which began in 2008 for high‑schoolers, now reaches younger students through a year‑long, multiyear partnership that will also include clubs in Orlando, Miami and Houston.
Selection process and community response
Libby Saylor Wright, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, said roughly 125 to 150 students applied for the 50 Atlanta slots, with additional applicants placed on a waiting list. Applications were distributed across the organization’s 26 clubs in nine counties and evaluated on each student’s interests, aspirations and written responses about their futures. Wright noted that a quick push to parents sparked the surge in applications: “We sent it to the parents and within 24 hours we had 125‑150 applications, and so that’s a difference.”
Students share their excitement
Selected Dreamer Noah described the opportunity as eye‑opening: “At first I didn’t…know how big it was gonna be.” Fellow participant Bayleigh added, “I was excited because I would get to meet new people and make new friends.” Another Dreamer, Asiah, expressed a career goal, saying she hopes to pursue orthodontics to help people feel confident in their smiles.
Program details and future plans
Official programming begins in January 2027. Over the school year, students will attend workshops, receive mentorship and explore careers in fields ranging from engineering, entertainment, finance, marketing and animal sciences. Sessions will be delivered both virtually and in person at local clubhouses, culminating in a future visit to Walt Disney World where Atlanta Dreamers will meet peers from the other participating cities.
Tajiana Ancora‑Brown, director of external affairs at Walt Disney World, explained the expansion’s purpose: “We want to stay connected with them, get connected with them earlier, and stay with them longer.” She emphasized that Disney employees represent a broad spectrum of professions, not just entertainment, adding, “They represent engineers, artists, entertainers. We also have professions in finance, legal, marketing and everything in between.”
Addressing opportunity gaps
Wright highlighted the partnership’s role in tackling unequal access to opportunities for Atlanta’s youth. “Having a collaboration with somebody like Disney gives us an opportunity to expose them to something that they may not have otherwise done,” she said. While the pilot includes 200 students across the four cities, Wright hopes the model will eventually expand to serve all eligible young people in the region.
The Disney Dreamers Academy aims to inspire participants to envision broader career paths and develop the confidence to pursue them. For the 50 Atlanta Dreamers, the journey begins with Disney characters and theme‑park fun, but the lasting impact will be the discovery of their own potential.
Original reporting: SaportaReport — read the source article.
