Kelly Rowland Serves as Ambassador for Disney Dreamers Academy

Artist Kelly Rowland is set to serve as an ambassador for the Disney Dreamers Academy Program! The four-time Grammy Award winner and songwriter, actress, and television executive producer, is among the well-known celebrities participating in the 15th year of Disney Dreamers Academy, an educational mentorship program developed and hosted by Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando. FL.

This program, now in its fifteenth year, selects 100 Black high school students and teens from underrepresented communities from across the United States to come and learn from Disney's top professionals. The students will participate in hands-on workshops, seminars, and Q&A sessions with leaders in various fields. The four day event, is exclusive to Walt Disney resort. Employees from throughout the company, volunteer as chaperones and guides to enforce that this is an important part of disney.

Meet the Disney Dreamers Class of 2022

“Mentorship is an experience I treasure, and the opportunity to invest my time into these students is incredible,” Rowland said. “I’m excited to work with them and watch how they grow throughout the program.” Rowland will speak with the students about her own personal experiences as a pre-teen entertainer before joining one of the most popular female acts of all time, supergroup Destiny's Child. She has gone on to not only become a multi-platinum-certified recording artist on her own, but also a multi-platinum songwriter according to the official press release.

During the weekend program, Rowland will be joined by several other celebrity speakers as well as community leaders, business executives and educators, who will nurture and inspire the students, including fashion designer Kerby Jean-Raymond, gospel artist Kierra Sheard, R&B recording artist Mali Music, actress Faithe Herman of the NBC drama series “This Is Us” and actress Demi Singleton, who played tennis star Serena Williams in the Oscar-nominated film “King Richard” and starred in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway, among others.

This impactful program will expose the Disney Dreamers to a range of new immersive experiences, including seminars on valuable life tools as well as leadership skills, effective communication strategies, and networking strategies. The program's sponsors, such as State Farm, will provide support for an array of new immersions. In addition to career opportunities, the young leaders have will have scholarship opportunities under a new initiative, in collaboration with ESPN's The Undefeated and GRAMMY-nominated rap artist Cordae, that will provide college scholarships to 11 students from underrepresented communities who are attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Students will leave this four-day event with a comprehensive understanding of their career path and goals. They'll learn more about employing their talents in various industries related to their aspirations. These workshops introduce The Walt Disney Company's young dreamers to diverse career paths in business, entertainment, and science that may be suitable for them.

The Disney Dreamers Academy program is an important part of Disney’s commitment to supporting diverse communities, such as Black America, by encouraging the next generation to think big and to carry what they learn with them back home, so they can relentlessly pursue their dreams and make a difference in the lives of others.

Over the years, Disney Dreamers Academy has inspired more than 1,300 students from across the country. Each year, graduates have gone on to become doctors, engineers, performing artists, entrepreneurs and more, and some have transitioned into mentors to the Disney Dreamers who followed them.