Fifty Central Florida students walked a purple carpet at the Walt Disney World Clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida during a kickoff gathering for Disney Dreamers Academy’s expanded middle-school program.
Disney described the gathering in an October 2 account, calling it the start of the program’s next chapter. The company did not give the date of the gathering or say whether the 50 attendees are part of the larger 200-student pilot class.
The pilot begins in January
The year-round, multi-year pilot will serve middle school Club members in Orlando, Miami, Atlanta and Houston. Participating Boys & Girls Clubs will select 200 students across the four metro areas, with programming scheduled to begin in January 2027.
Students will take part in virtual and in-person sessions at local Clubs and Walt Disney World. The plan includes workshops, hands-on activities, career exploration, mentoring and leadership work. Engineering and animal sciences are among the subjects Disney has named.
Walt Disney World also plans to invest in participating Boys & Girls Clubs across the pilot’s first two years, covering the current school year and the 2027–28 school year. Disney has not disclosed an amount.
Disney Dreamers Academy continues
The national Disney Dreamers Academy program continues as the middle-school pilot gets underway. Since 2008, more than 1,800 students have taken part.
See Disney’s account of the Central Florida kickoff.
Read Walt Disney World’s announcement about the four-city pilot.