Off the heels of their annual Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence magazine, The Walt Disney Company has announced a $1 million commitment to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to help provide scholarships to deserving African American students.
The Walt Disney Company UNCF Corporate Scholars Program will offer financial assistance to outstanding
African American students in underserved communities, while expanding both their educational and career resources. Under the Corporate Scholars Program, a career navigator web-based platform will be launched this fall that will provide students with the necessary career information and tools to help them develop the needed skills to transition from college to early-stage careers. The new platform will also provide scholars with the opportunity to apply for Disney internships.incontent-custom-banner ampforwp-incontent-ad2">[Related: Dr. Lomax Talks UNCF Better Futures Campaign and HBCUs Financial Crisis]
“UNCF works to ensure our future leaders have the opportunity to obtain the college degrees they need, and our nation needs them to have,” said UNCF President and CEO Michael L. Lomax in a news release. “The Walt Disney Company UNCF Corporate Scholars Program expands their academic training into practical experiences, to create a diverse pipeline of college education professionals poised to assume fulfilling careers in the entertainment industry.”
The application process opens March 16, 2015 and closes May 15, 2015 with applicants needing to be a full-time African American freshman enrolled in a four-year college or university, have a demonstrated financial need, a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale and an interest in pursuing a career in entertainment.
To learn more about the program and how you or a young scholar can apply visit www.uncf.org/disneyscholars and follow the hashtag #DisneyUNCFScholars on social media.