Yesterday, a group of Central Florida high school students had the unique opportunity to visit Magic Kingdom before the park opened and talk with Disney engineers about the science behind Space Mountain. The group was part of a local FIRST Robotics team who recently won the Chairman’s Award at the worldwide 2019 FIRST Championship.
What’s happening:
- Thirty Central Florida high schoolers, who double as teammates on a local FIRST Robotics team, were celebrated on June 24 during an exclusive early morning experience at Magic Kingdom Park.
- Together, the students and their leadership team—which includes several Walt Disney World Resort Disney VoluntEARS—spent an early morning in Tomorrowland prior to Magic Kingdom Park opening to guests for the day. The group enjoyed exclusive attraction access to Space Mountain, where they had the opportunity to speak with a group of Disney Engineers about the science behind the thrilling attraction.
- The team, creatively named “Exploding Bacon,” was recently honored with the Chairman’s Award at the worldwide 2019 FIRST Championship, the most prestigious title awarded through FIRST for consistent demonstration, excellence, and impact within the FIRST and student’s local communities.
What they’re saying:
- Tajiana Ancora Brown, director of external affairs for Walt Disney World Resort: “Bringing these students out to Tomorrowland, a land dedicated to celebrating innovation and looking ahead, was a way to share the direct impact STEM education has on Walt Disney World Resort, and showed these students how their passion can turn into magic for others.”
- DeAnn Davila, Chair of the Florida FIRST Robotics Foundation: “The FIRST Robotics program builds Florida’s high tech workforce by empowering and enabling our youth to be innovative and creative in working together to build a better, more sustainable future for themselves and those around them. For Walt Disney World Resort to transform into a classroom for some of our students further demonstrates how closely-knit the STEM community is, and how, together, we can all work to encourage these young people to chase and achieve their dreams.”
About FIRST:
- FIRST is a nonprofit organization advancing youth STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education that aims to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build skill and inspire innovation.
- Disney has supported FIRST for more than 20 years as part of its commitment to providing today’s youth with inspiration and opportunity through transformative programming.