Disney will work with
Howard University on a multi-year
program to help advance opportunities in media and
entertainment for underrepresented students.
BURBANK,
Calif., July 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, at
ESSENCE Festival of Culture™, The Walt Disney Company announced the
creation of the Disney Storytellers Fund at Howard University, which will create opportunities
for historically underrepresented students to have future careers
as storytellers and innovators in media and entertainment.
The Disney Storytellers Fund at Howard
University will provide stipends over a five-year period for
student projects focused on storytelling across a variety of media
including animation, digital design, gaming, journalism, live
action, performing arts, product design, visual design, virtual
reality and more. Disney will also
provide access to speakers, mentors and internships to students in
the program to spark interest in these fields and help them build
the skills necessary for a future career in entertainment.
"Across Disney's brands, we are working to amplify
underrepresented voices and untold stories. The Disney Storytellers
Fund at Howard will help us support students and the innovation and
creativity that the university has cultivated for more than 150
years. We are excited to help the next generation of Black
storytellers bring their ideas to life," said Jennifer Cohen,
executive vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility, The Walt
Disney Company.
"Our students at the College of Fine Arts find their creative
expression in many ways – in the performing arts, in animation, in
the design of the products that we use in life. The Disney
Storytellers Fund is a great support for our emerging artists as
they explore and develop their potential within and across
disciplines," said Phylicia Rashad,
dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.
In addition to the Disney Storytellers Fund, Disney will fund the development of a creative
collaborative space that will be housed inside the new Chadwick A.
Boseman College of Fine Arts and the Cathy Hughes School of
Communication at Howard University.
Through social investments and collaborations like these,
Disney is increasing access to
careers in storytelling and innovation for those who have been
historically underrepresented. From arts and STEM programs for
school-age children to scholarships, storytelling and technical
skills-building programs for teens and young adults, Disney is helping today's youth to pursue
their dreams, build their talents and skills, and become who they
imagine they can be.
Contacts:
Bruce Lam
Corporate Communications
(818) 560-6420
bruce.lam@disney.com
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SOURCE Walt Disney Company