The Disney Dreamers Academy is a 4-day mentoring program at Walt Disney World where 100 teens from Black and underrepresented communities are selected from thousands of applicants to engage with business leaders, Disney executives, celebrities and educators, who will immerse them in workshops and seminars.
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PHOTOS
Disney Dreamers Academy students receive commencement rings celebrating their experience during the five-day event at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista Fla. on April 7, 2024. (Mark Ashman, photographer) 
Rabiat A. and her mother Fatima of the Bronx at the Disney Dreamers Academy Credit: Cyril Josh Barker photo 
Kyla Marie G. and her mother 
David Lopez Credit: Cyril Josh Barker photo 
Tracey Powell 
Princeton Parker 
DJ Big Tigger surprises high school student and aspiring DJ Kyla Marie Griffith (Laurelton Queens, NY) with a one-on-one mentoring session during Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on April 6, 2024. DJ Big Tigger invited Griffith to deejay with him during a Saturday night dance party sponsored by Sprite. (Mark Ashman, photographer) 
ABC TV series ‘Shark Tank,’ star Daymond John surprises TeLario Watkins (Blacklick, Ohio) during the Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on April 6, 2024. John presented Watkins with a personal invitation to Los Angeles, Calif. to watch a taping of ‘Shark Tank.’ (Mark Ashman, photographer) 
Daymond John Credit: Cyril Josh Barker photo 
Sanya Richards-Ross Credit: Cyril Josh Barker photo 
Trevon Jenifer Credit: Cyril Josh Barker photo 
Dr. Johnnetta Cole Credit: Cyril Josh Barker photo 
Credit: Cyril Josh Barker photo 
Credit: Cyril Josh Barker 
Artist, author and former Walt Disney Imagineer Nikkolas Smith Credit: Cyril Josh Barker photo 
Credit: Cyril Josh Barker photo 
Credit: Cyril Josh Barker photo 
Students from the 2024 Disney Dreamers Academy (left to right: Rabiat Akinyele-Yusifu, Kyla Griffith, Sophia Halm) at Walt Disney World Resort on April 4, 2024 in Lake Buena Vista Fla. (Mark Ashman, photographer) 
Actress and performer Dara Reneé, Disney executive Tracy Powell and Disney’s Princess Tiana ride in the grand marshal vehicle alongside aspiring engineering student Sophia Halm, one of the 100 teens participating in Disney Dreamers Academy 2024 at Walt Disney World Resort on April 4, 2024, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Mark Ashman, photographer) 
Dara Renee 
Princeton Parker 
Tracey Powell 
Sophia Halm, a high school student from South Orange, NJ and aspiring aerospace engineer, is featured in a national TV interview on Jan. 15, 2024. The interview highlighted the news that she is one of the 100 students selected for this year’s Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Disney Dreamers Academy, taking place April 2024, is a mentoring program hosted annually by Walt Disney World Resort that fosters the dreams of Black students and teens from underrepresented communities. (ABC/ Jeff Neira) 
Sophia Halm, a student at Columbia High School in New Jersey, and her mother, Cynthia Halm, are interviewed on Good Morning America by Robin Roberts and Gio Benitez on Jan. 15, 2024, as Sophia discussed her selection in this year’s Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Disney Dreamers Academy is a mentoring program hosted annually at Walt Disney World Resort to foster the dreams of Black students and teens from underrepresented communities. (ABC/ Jeff Neira) 
Sophia Halm, a high school student from South Orange, NJ and aspiring aerospace engineer, stands alongside her family after an interview on national TV discussing her selection in this year’s Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Disney Dreamers Academy is a mentoring program hosted annually at Walt Disney World Resort to foster the dreams of Black students and teens from underrepresented communities. (ABC/ Jeff Neira) 
The names of the 100 high school students selected for this year’s Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort appear on a billboard in Times Square in New York City on Jan. 15, 2024. The 2024 class was announced before one student was featured on national TV. Disney Dreamers Academy is a mentoring program hosted annually by Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista., Fla., that fosters the dreams of Black students and teens from underrepresented communities. (ABC/Jeff Neira)
VIDEOS
Disney Dreamers Academy Commencement
DJ Big Tigger mentors Dreamers Kyla Marie Griffith
Daymond John of ‘Shark Tank mentors students
Disney Dreamers Academy Parade
Disclosure: The Walt Disney Company paid for the travel and accommodations for several media outlets, including the AmNews, to cover the Disney Dreamers Academy. Disney did not review or approve any of our coverage.