Disney gives $1.3 million to Seminole County school programs

Disney’s summer campaign stopped at Sterling Park Elementary School in Seminole County with a bigger question than a character visit: how much of a $1.3 million education pledge will actually reach local classrooms, and what will students gain from it by the time school starts again.

The Walt Disney Company announced the investment on May 8, pairing the donation with a Cool KIDS’ SUMMER preview at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista. Disney said the money will support education programs in Orange, Osceola, Lake, Polk and Seminole counties, including all five public school districts in the region and nonprofit and arts partners that work with students across Central Florida.

At Sterling Park, kindergarten and pre-kindergarten students took part in activities inspired by GoofyCore, the new EPCOT summer experience. Disney also visited four other elementary schools in the campaign: Engelwood Elementary in Orange County, St. Cloud Elementary in Osceola County, Eustis Heights Elementary in Lake County and Jesse Keen Elementary in Polk County.

The funding is aimed at expanding access to STEM, literacy and arts education. Disney said the regional support will also flow to Elevate Orlando, A Gift for Teaching, the Orlando Philharmonic Young People’s Concert and Disney Musicals in Schools through the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. For Seminole County, that puts Sterling Park inside a larger countywide and regional network of school and nonprofit programs tied to the company’s summer initiative.

Teachers, administrators and staff were thanked with an after-school appreciation event, and educators received complimentary Walt Disney World theme park tickets to use with their families. That gesture made the donation feel less abstract for the adults who are trying to keep young children engaged through the summer months, when learning loss can widen before the school year begins.

Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Maria Vazquez said Disney’s support helps spark imagination and makes teachers feel valued. Walt Disney World external affairs director Tajiana Ancora-Brown said supporting Florida students and educators is central to Disney’s identity.

Cool KIDS’ SUMMER returns to Walt Disney World Resort from May 26 through Sept. 8, 2026, giving the company’s education message a visible seasonal backdrop as Seminole County students head into summer.