Disneyland CREATE Grants Program Available for Teachers in Orange County

For over 16 years the Disneyland Resort has been helping local teachers offer improved arts education through a series of grants. A new version of that grand program debuted this year and the Disneyland Resort is now accepting applications from kindergarten through 12^th-grade teachers in all Orange County school districts for enhanced Disneyland CREATE (Creative Resources Enabling Arts through Education) Grants.

Formerly known as Disneyland Resort Enabling Grants, the CREATE program provides classroom teachers with needed funds for projects, programs and materials that directly support student involvement in the visual and performing arts.

Applications are being accepted through Nov. 4 and can be accessed by visiting www.disneyland.com/publicaffairs. The grants, up to $600 for teachers in Orange County and up to $750 for those in Anaheim, will be named by Dec. 1. To date, through its grants programs the Disneyland Resort has contributed more than $1.5 million to arts education.

“Over the years, Disneyland grants have helped our students develop the capacity to create, perform, and respond with understanding, critical judgment, and appreciation for the arts,” said Phil R. Mortensen, visual and performing arts coordinator for Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District. “We, as teachers and administrators, applaud Disneyland’s support and acknowledge that arts’ learning has been greatly enhanced through this program.”

An additional $50,000 in funding has been added this year, bringing the total amount available to $125,000. The program also has expanded to all Orange County school districts, a first since the program’s inception in 1994.

Also new this year is the involvement of DonorsChoose.org to facilitate the program. The non-profit organization engages in charitable fundraising and disbursement of monies to public schools. DonorsChoose.org streamlines the granting process by coordinating all aspects of selected requests. This ensures teachers can begin executing their projects immediately.