Disney Pushes Forward Educational Agenda

The Walt Disney Company has been focused on education for years, particularly in underprivileged communities.

While in Florida, Disney continues to battle with Governor Ron DeSantis; sparked by an education-focused bill, Disney VoluntEARS is trying to make a difference in California.

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First Book

For over 20 years, Disney has generously contributed millions of books to First Book. This non-profit organization promotes educational equality by offering accessible and affordable books, resources, and other essentials to underprivileged children and their educators. This year, over 100 Disney VoluntEARS from Disneyland Resort and Disney Publishing Worldwide delivered 40,000 children’s books to families, youngsters, and educators.

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Through Disney’s collaborative effort with First Book, children of various ages in Anaheim and beyond can now enjoy brand-new books during the summer months, ranging from five-minute tales featuring their favorite Disney characters to novels about beloved princesses and superheroes.

“How many families with three or four kids would be able to go to any bookstore and purchase multiple books for their children?” said Guadalupe Gomez, library services manager at Anaheim Public Library: Haskett Branch. “Giving our children and families books is so important to us… to be able to expand their literacy and love of reading.”

HOLA Readers Program

Enthusiastic members of the Disneyland Resort’s HOLA Readers program, delighted children by reading stories in both English and Spanish throughout the morning. The HOLA Readers program annually visits students at Orange Grove Elementary School to host 12 weeks of engaging bilingual storytime and other educational activities

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Juan Aldava, the associate coordinator of Downtown Disney District and dedicated Disney VoluntEAR, brought his five-year-old daughter, April, to the special event. “We’re excited to bring this to the community of Anaheim and beyond,” said Juan. “Disneyland is a huge part of Anaheim…to keep sharing the magic of what we do with the public and with our own families is huge.”

The event received support from Disney Future Storytellers, an initiative by The Walt Disney Company committed to inspiring and empowering the next generation of storytellers and innovators. By collaborating with organizations like First Book, Disney Future Storytellers hopes to empower young minds to envision their future, nurture their talents, and transform into who they are meant to be.

While the battle over educational policy and laws continue in Florida, Cast Members in California are taking other initiatives when it comes to education. Rather than fight state law makers, they are choosing to volunteer time to help educate children and inspire them to follow their dreams.