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ORLANDO, Fla. – Sitting in front of a group of high school students, Steve Harvey has discarded all of his comical inclinations, if only for a moment. He’s pushed up his sleeves and is directly engaging the teenagers, giving them clear instructions for navigating life and bringing their dreams to fruition.
“ ‘Just say no’ is a nice slogan, but these kids need something real,” Harvey later tells a roomful of journalists.
And really, that’s what Disney’s Dreamers Academy is all about — inspiring kids through active participation, minus the fluff. The three-day event, which took place at Walt Disney World Resort over Valentine’s Day weekend, gave 100 kids, ranging from ninth to 12th grade, the opportunity to sit in on sessions with professional animators, cartoonists, sports figurers, actors, singers and Disney executives.
“This would’ve done wonders for me if someone would’ve done this when I was teenager,” says Harvey, who hosted the event and spent quality time talking to the kids. “We didn’t have this type of shot [when I was younger].”
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The kids or “Dreamers” as they were called throughout the weekend, were selected from a list of over 4,000 applicants. They also got an opportunity to enjoy the popular theme park, including the grand opening of the American Idol Experience.
“My favorite session was the sports session because I love sports,” says 14-year-old ‘Dreamer’ Ritzy Griffin. “But my favorite part of the experience was when Steve Harvey took the time to talk to us.”
“I just told the kids, don’t squander this opportunity,” Harvey says. “Find the motivation to make this weekend work for you.” –jh
