In communities across the country, young people are tackling some of society's toughest issues through community service. These young people have learned first-hand that volunteering is a great way to connect with people and to help solve social problems in their own back yard. The Disney Show Your Character High School Volunteer program fosters civic responsibility while helping teachers and students meet curriculum requirements for community service and character education. More importantly, students "learn by doing" during the process of identifying a social program and working together to implement a solution.
Disney is working with the Volunteer Center of Los Angeles (VCLA) on this program. VCLA is well respected in the field of volunteerism and plays an important role in Los Angeles by mobilizing people and resources to meet community needs. VCLA will share this expertise with the students to help them find the right non-profit partner. VCLA will also be a vital resource and will help manage the successful completion of projects that positively impact the community and that allow students to achieve their goals.
Disney is dedicated to brightening the lives of children and families and believes that volunteerism is the key to meaningful community outreach efforts. To ensure the success of each volunteer project, Disney is contributing $500 in start up funds. Additionally, each participating school and non-profit will qualify for a $5,000 Disney Show Your Character grant.
Disney is providing leadership to the effort through the participation of Disney VoluntEARS project advisors. These advisors are some of Disney's top volunteers who have experience in working with non-profits and have been trained in effective project management. A Disney VoluntEARS project advisor will be assigned to each student team to guide them through planning and implementation.
The Disney Show Your Character High School Volunteer program is only available to Los Angeles area based schools and non-profits. The selection of schools to participate in the program is determined by school district officials in partnership with Disney. Each year, ten new schools will be identified and past participants become "official" Show Your Character schools.
