Disney's commitment to learning includes philanthropic support, resources and professional development to educators nationwide to foster creative classrooms and enable teachers to develop and implement innovative, engaging approaches to learning. Disney's programs are highlighted by a commitment to teachers. The marquee event is Disney's American Teacher Awards, which honors creativity in teaching and annually salutes 35 gifted teachers who work their magic in their classrooms. Launched in 1992, Disney's American Teacher Awards has honored more than 400 teachers to date and touched more than 5,000 teachers with professional development assistance. This year, students, parents, educators and community members from across the U.S. nominated 111,000 teachers, representing all regions of the country. In 2001, Disney provided nearly $3 million to teachers and schools around the country.

Each year, The Walt Disney Company Foundation College Scholarship program awards scholarships to children of Disney employees. The goal of this program is to help many children achieve their educational and career goals, and to set their sights high in both school and career. This year, The Walt Disney Company Foundation awarded 26 scholarships, including eight full scholarships.

The Walt Disney Company continues to spearhead Jiminy Cricket's Environmentality Challenge, a joint effort among Disney, state environmental agencies and the Departments of Education in California and Florida. The program encourages fifth-grade students to think and act "environ-mentally." They identify a problem in their community and create and implement a solution to improve the environment. Outstanding projects are recognized statewide and the grand-prize-winning class from each state is rewarded with a trip to a Disney theme park. This year, the Park View Center School in Simi Valley, Calif., and the Horizon Elementary School in Sunrise, Fla., won grand prizes.

Next year, DisneyHand will launch several learning initiatives, including extensive outreach in February for Black History Month. Hyperion for Children has published Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The children's book combines vivid illustrations with a compelling narrative to tell the story of Dr. King's life.