Shanghai Disney Resort hosts youth programs

Shanghai Disney Resort welcomed nearly 500 children from 13 Chinese provinces and regions this summer for youth development and cultural exchange programs aimed at broadening horizons and fostering intercultural understanding.

The initiatives, organized in partnership with six nonprofit organizations, brought participants from places including Yunnan, Jiangxi, Gansu, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The resort also distributed 800 back-to-school packages to students in Shanghai and Yunnan province.

In August, the resort hosted students from the Pride from the Mountains ethnic talent performance program for the fifth consecutive year. The program supports ethnic minority schools in delivering cultural arts education and organizing multicultural exchanges during school breaks.

Nearly 100 teachers and students from six ethnic minorities in Yunnan and Gansu traveled to Shanghai to showcase traditional music and dance celebrating their hometowns' culture. Between rehearsals, participants visited Shanghai Disneyland, experiencing entertainment shows and attractions.

The summer also featured the Dream Journey Course project, which encourages young people to expand their perspectives through independent exploration and research-based travel planning.

The resort also partnered with New York University Shanghai's college and career lab summer camp for migrant kids to provide career exploration opportunities for children of migrant workers. In July, students from migrant worker families attended interactive luncheon sessions at the resort, engaging with cast members about educational pathways and career planning.

"Children build emotional connections through different interactions, encountering different urban environments, cultures, and professional scenarios," said Li Duofen, director of the project management department at Shanghai Children's Foundation. "We hope these memories stay with them and encourage them to believe there are more possibilities in the future."

Over the past decade, the resort has supported local community children and youth through diverse programs. Since 2011, Disney VoluntEARS at the resort have contributed 77,000 volunteer hours, impacting nearly 1.75 million people.