“I thank The Walt Disney Company for being at the forefront of spending time, money and energy - and daring to do for my beloved profession.”

-A Disney’s American
Teacher Awards Honoree

“On behalf of First Book and the children we serve, thank you for your support of First Book through Reading Together. Disney has always been a wonderful part of growing up in America, and we are proud to be part of your continuing efforts to brighten the future of the next generation. Because of our work together, children across the country will have the chance to own books that can help them dream, explore and imagine.”

-Kyle Zimmer,
President of First Book

Since 1989, DisneyHand has celebrated the teaching profession with Disney’s American Teacher Awards. This unique program honors America’s most creative educators and supports them in their continuing quest for excellence. More than 100,000 teachers are nominated for this program annually – by students, parents and educators.

Disney Learning Partnership homepage

Working with arts organizations, DisneyHand helps children expand their communications skills through creative, hands-on projects. Last year in lower Manhattan, Disney VoluntEARS worked with children in a program called CITYArts. The team helped the children create a mural celebrating the diversity of New York City and honoring its heroes. This mural now beautifies the young artists’ neighborhood playground.

Volunteerism – the notion of giving back – is a key component to all Disney outreach programs. Disney VoluntEARS are out in force every day, working to make our communities better. Disney Adventures All-Stars, a partnership with Disney Adventures Magazine and Disney Channel, seeks to get children involved in doing good by recognizing their accomplishments. In response to the September 11 attacks, Disney became a major sponsor of the Unity in the Spirit of America Initiative, encouraging people to do volunteer projects in their local communities in memory of those who were lost.

DisneyHand works around the world, combining the talent and resources of The Walt Disney Company to help strengthen communities. In 2002, Disney contributed more than $140 million in cash, in-kind support, product donations and public service broadcast time supporting global, national, regional and local initiatives from Hong Kong to Buenos Aires to Chicago to London.

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Children from a New York neighborhood, in partnership with Disney VoluntEARS and CITYArts, spent the summer painting a mural honoring New York’s heroes while beautifying their local playground.

At the Siyazama Daycare Center in Hout Bay, South Africa, Disney VoluntEARS renovated the rundown center to create a better environment for the children. This is one of more than 1,000 Disney VoluntEAR projects and programs conducted globally last year in which Disney Cast Members contributed more than 350,000 hours of service to the community.

Local school children were invited to the launch of Reading Together at the U.S. Coast Guard Base in Los Angeles Harbor.