Disney Imagicademy Apps and Books to Be Donated
Through First Book Over the Next Three Years
To tweet this release, copy and paste
http://bit.ly/ImagicademyDonation to your Twitter handle.
Today at the White House Summit on Early Education, The Walt
Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) will announce that it is donating $55
million in apps and books through First Book, a nonprofit social
enterprise that provides new books and educational materials to
educators and programs serving children from low-income families.
Today’s commitment is part of President Obama’s Invest in Us
initiative, a challenge to business leaders, philanthropists,
advocates, public officials and the public to build a better nation
through high-quality early childhood programs for children from
birth to age five. The donation is part of Disney Publishing
Worldwide’s launch of Disney Imagicademy, a new, innovative
learning brand for families with children ages 3 to 8 designed to
inspire a lifelong love of learning and creativity.
Disney Imagicademy offers parents a way to expose their children
to fundamental educational concepts in a fun and uniquely Disney
way, combining the Disney characters and stories families love,
with a research-driven curriculum developed in conjunction with top
academic and education experts.
“For almost 100 years, The Walt Disney Company has captivated
generations of children through experiences that not only
entertain, but inspire them to explore, create and imagine,” said
Bob Iger, chairman and chief executive officer, The Walt Disney
Company. “We are proud to help expand access to early childhood
education in America through a $55 million in-kind
donation—including hundreds of thousands of apps from our
Publishing division’s newest brand, Disney Imagicademy."
As part of the three-year commitment, Disney will provide $5
million in Disney Imagicademy apps to First Book and other
non-profit organizations, and $50 million in books to help foster a
love of reading in young children from low-income families. In
addition, Disney will provide $1 million in funding to First Book
to spread the magic of storytelling and help children in need gain
access to critical resources around the country.
“We’ve worked hard to bring these types of learning tools to
children in need, and now thanks to Disney and the strength of our
network, Disney Imagicademy is accessible for free to kids in need
throughout the country the same day it is available to the general
public,” said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book.
“Disney’s in-kind donation over the next three years is First
Book’s largest gift targeting early childhood programs.”
First Book research shows that the after-school programs,
shelters and clinics, museums, libraries, Head Start classrooms and
others that make up the First Book Network are in need of web-based
tools and interactive learning programs that help children read,
learn and achieve, both inside and outside of school. Through First
Book, the first two Disney Imagicademy apps – Mickey’s Magical Math
World and Disney Imagicademy Parents – will be available for free
through the First Book Marketplace (www.fbmarketplace.org) for
teachers and educators that serve children from low-income families
at the same time these products become available to the general
public.
First Book research also shows that tools used to encourage
family engagement in the learning process are of primary need among
their network of over 150,000 educators and nonprofits nationwide.
As parents are an ever-important part of successful learning,
teachers and educators will have the opportunity to share free
download codes with the families of the children they serve,
allowing families to bring lessons home and be more involved and
engaged in their child’s learning.
Making learning a family experience is also reinforced by Disney
Imagicademy Parents, a companion app especially designed for
parents that connects with and extends their children’s learning
experience. The Parents app provides them with a wealth of
real-time updates about their children’s progress and the ability
to reward accomplishments digitally and remotely.
Mickey’s Magical Math World, the first app available through the
First Book Marketplace, is an iPad-exclusive app that features five
robust math-focused activities in one app that engages children
through creativity, customization and learning by doing. Each
in-app experience invites children to explore, create, and
discover, while practicing key early math concepts, including
counting forward and backward, sort and classify, skip count,
numbers and shapes recognition, reason and logic, and more.
Mickey’s Magical Math World and Disney Imagicademy Parents will
be available on December 11 on the Apple App Store. For additional
Disney Imagicademy mobile apps updates and information, visit
www.DisneyImagicademy.com, Facebook at
Facebook.com/disneyimagicademy and Twitter at @Imagicademy.
About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed
more than 120 million books and educational resources to programs
and schools serving children from low-income families throughout
the United States and Canada. By making new, high-quality books and
educational resources available on an ongoing basis, First Book is
transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the
quality of education. For more information, please visit us online
(www.firstbook.org) or follow our latest news on Facebook and
Twitter. TAKE ACTION: If you serve children in need and
are interested in these or other First Book resources please
register with First Book at
www.firstbook.org/register.
About Disney Publishing Worldwide
Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world's largest
publisher of children's books, magazines, and apps, igniting
imagination through storytelling in ever-inventive ways. DPW
creates and publishes books and magazines both vertically in-house
and through an extensive worldwide licensing structure. As a leader
in digital products, DPW creates bestselling eBook titles and
best-in-class original apps that have garnered more than 50 awards
to date. DPW is also committed to the educational development of
children around the world through Disney Learning, which includes
our flagship learning brand, Disney Imagicademy, as well as Disney
English and other Disney themed learning products. Headquartered in
Glendale, California, DPW publishes books, magazines and digital
products in 85 countries in 75 languages. For more information
visit www.disneypublishing.com.
About Invest in US
Invest in US is a challenge to business leaders,
philanthropists, advocates, public officials and the public to
build a better nation through high-quality early childhood programs
for children from birth to age five. When we invest in them, we
invest in us. A full list of commitments announced Wednesday can be
found at http://investinus.org/.
Media:Disney Publishing
WorldwideHeather Hust Rivera,
714-936-4095Heather.Hust.Rivera@disney.comorDisney Consumer
ProductsTasia Filippatos,
818-544-0009Tasia.Filippatos@disney.comorFirst BookJulia Hornaday,
202-639-0114JHornaday@firstbook.org
Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024