Disney World is giving four Central Florida school districts the donations. Cast members raised additional funds as part of the back-to-school drive benefiting A Gift for Teaching
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Aug. 17, 2023) – Walt Disney World Resort today announced its latest investments in Florida education, including $125,000 in donations to support school districts in Osceola, Lake, Polk and Seminole counties. These funds will be used to expand workforce development and early learning student programs.
“Our company is very much rooted in storytelling, so supporting the future storytellers in our community is critical,” said Tajiana Ancora-Brown, Director of External Affairs at Walt Disney World Resort. “Career dreams begin in the classroom, and we’re helping students build a solid foundation to pursue those dreams and become who they imagine they can be.”
This donation joins ongoing efforts like Disney World’s annual Back-to-School Supply Drive benefiting A Gift for Teaching. Disney World has teamed up with A Gift for Teaching for decades and is the organization’s lead sponsor. As the largest supply drive in the state, Disney World and its cast members collected more than $177K in essential school supplies and monetary donations this summer to help get Florida students and teachers the resources they need to succeed in the classroom throughout the school year.
“As our longest and largest supporter, Disney has made a deep impact on our organization and our community,” said Jane Thompson, President of A Gift For Teaching. “We are so grateful for their help as we work together to empower local teachers and inspire future leaders. Thanks to every cast member who took part in the supply drive, we’re one step closer to a future where every student has the tools they need to achieve their dreams.”
Here are some additional ways Disney is supporting back-to-school efforts across the state:
- Disney matched eligible cast donations made during the Back-to-School Drive through its Disney Matching Gifts program.
- Disney VoluntEARS spent more than 2.3K hours in the community this summer helping students and teachers prepare for the first day back.
- A Gift For Teaching was the celebrated charity of the runDisney Virtual Series where runners helped raise an additional $20K for the organization.
This is all part of the company’s Disney Future Storytellers initiative to empower the next generation of storytellers and innovators to dream about their futures and build their talents and skills in distinctly Disney ways. Other recent efforts include:
- Funding the new “Rock Star Robotics Center” at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida – Walt Disney World Clubhouse.
- Raising more than $115,000 for Junior Achievement of Central Florida during its annual Bowl-A-Thon event.
- Donating $100,000 to help enhance STEM education in Orange County Public Schools.
- Celebrating Halfway to Halloween with Florida Theater Students.
- Donating $20K worth of gardening supplies to Lake Silver Elementary in Orange County to help the school become a Green STEM Academy.
To learn more about the other ways Disney is making positive impacts in Florida, visit DisneyFlorida.com. Assets for use in your reporting can be downloaded here.
###