By Beth Deitchman
Today, Disney Parks announced the launch of Disney Imagination Campus, a collection of hands-on workshops, performances, and special events touching on a variety of subjects, including performing arts, technology, science, humanities, and leadership. The Disney Imagination Campus curriculum will harness beloved Disney franchises—including Star Wars, Pixar, Frozen, and more, as well as Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Live Entertainment—to supercharge the imaginations of students and inspire their career ambitions. Disney Imagination Campus will debut at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort in January 2022.
“Our Walt Disney Imagineering partners are renowned for blue sky thinking, masterful storytelling, and creative problem-solving,” said Maryann Smith, Vice President of Sales, Services & Events at Disney Destinations. “We’ve taken these key skills and worked with Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Live Entertainment and other Disney thought leaders to create new educational experiences to challenge students to use their imagination, all within our real-world learning laboratories and performance venues across our theme parks.”
Here’s a preview of what students will experience:
Art & Humanities—Students will discover the role that artists play in theme park design through the exploration of artistic media and storytelling.
Science & Technology—Students will explore how science and technology applies to every element of the theme park experience and is used to create Disney magic for guests.
Leadership & Innovation—Students will engage in hands-on learning that challenges their creative problem-solving and communication skills based on the real-world business experiences of Disney leaders.
Performing Arts —Disney Parks will raise the curtain once again on beloved Performing Arts workshops and performances. Students will engage in workshops taught by world-class Disney entertainment professionals and perform on Disney stages for audiences from around the world.
“Opportunities for students in the performing arts to engage in performance and workshop experiences have existed at Disney Parks for more than 40 years,” shares Matt Conover, Vice President, Disneyland Resort Live Entertainment. “Disney Imagination Campus will build upon that legacy and expand on stage and backstage experiences led by world-class Disney arts professionals. We worked with educators from a variety of disciplines to bring their expertise so our new campus will offer educational experiences for students from all over to enjoy.”
A new collaboration with education platform Kahoot! will bring an interactive element to select Disney Imagination Campus experiences. Kahoot!, which has engaged 5 billion cumulative players since 2013, empowers students to learn through play with its live games, study tools, and challenges. “Kahoot!’s long-standing relationship with Disney is now expanding beyond the classroom, bringing interactive learning experiences to the Disney Parks designed for Disney Imagination Campus students,” says Kahoot! CEO Eilert Hanoa. “Whether students are visiting the Disney Parks for a day or participating in workshops, we’ve developed interactive, self-guided challenges that will test their comprehension and retention of key learning objectives during their visit. This is a holistic, groundbreaking, and experiential approach to education.”
Ahead of the January 2022 launch of the Disney Imagination Campus workshops, student groups can learn more about this uniquely Disney curriculum and get the latest updates by visiting DisneyCampus.com and following @DisneyImaginationCampus on social media.
