Disney Leadership Experience
The Disney Leadership Experience provides students with tools to be the leaders who shape tomorrow. Beginning mid-fall semester, a cohort of 16 students from all classes engage in weekly leadership workshops, building a foundation of leadership principles and shared philosophy. Workshops include topics such as modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging those around them.
Following the fall workshops, students take part in a five-day experience at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL attending three Disney Youth Education Series: College Edition workshops. These educational programs focus on Leadership Strategies, Techniques of Teamwork, and Design Thinking. Students will understand how Disney develops leaders and creates magical experiences for their guests and cast members, while connecting back to their own leadership experiences on campus. Students will engage through group learning and individual educational breakout sessions, participate in experiential activities in the Disney Theme Parks, and develop an action plan for accomplishing their student leader and career goals.
Information on this program will be available at the beginning of the fall semester.
The following are the intended outcomes for students taking part in this leadership experience:
- Understand elements of team dynamics; identify key challenges teams face; and develop a strategic plan to address them
- Understand the need for building consensus on a team and an individual’s responsibility in achieving it
- Articulate the value of encouraging and supporting individual strengths and talents on a team
- Share critical environmental elements that a leader must provide for a truly creative team to thrive
- Articulate the pervasive and critical need for clear and precise communication from a leader to their team, as well as the necessity for a 360° communication flow within a team
- Have insights into the nature of confidentiality and the need for a leader to properly identify the level of confidentiality required by various types of information
- Describe discussed leadership styles, give examples, and identify which are closest to their own style
- Develop strategic plan for great leadership and effective team communication
- Identify and apply Disney Key Concepts for Strategic Leadership, Teamwork, and Creative Discontent
2021-2022 Disney Leadership Experience
- Applications available Monday, August 23rd and due Thursday, September 23rd.
- Fall workshops begin on Wednesday, October 13th and continue through Wednesday, December 8th. Workshops will be held weekly from 6:30 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. Students are required to attend every workshop for its entirety.
- Official dates for the on-site experience at Walt Disney World will be Monday, January 3, 2022 through Friday, January 7, 2022. Students are required to be with the group for the entirety of this experience.
- The estimated program cost per person is $1,650, which includes travel, hotel, Disney Park Hopper passes, admission to three Disney Youth Education Series: College Edition workshops, and a meal stipend.
An expectation of this program is that every member of the cohort will take part in fundraising during the fall semester to bring the costs of the program down for the group.
Two Information Sessions will be held in September:
- Wednesday, September 1, 2021, Time: TBD
- Tuesday, September 7, 2021, Time: TBD
Specific details regarding time and location will be announced closer to the date.