Pictured are the sixteen students, five staff and five parents who participated in three separate classes in three different Disney Parks.

In March, Tidioute Community Charter School students involved with the Leadership Academy traveled to Walt Disney World to participate in the Imagination Campus classes. Sixteen students, five staff and five parents participated in three separate classes in three different Disney Parks.

The students took Theme Park Design in Magic Kingdom where they learned about the intricacies of how theme parks are made and designed their own park. The class itself was broken into separate sections. They first walked into the park and discussed what they saw. All of the students agreed that the Castle was the main focal point, however the instructor asked questions about everything else. What was the aesthetic? What was the time period? What does it look like? The students worked in groups and used critical thinking skills to design their own theme parks. Just when they thought they were done, the instructor asked about elements they didn’t even think about, like bathrooms, garbage can placement, etc. The class ended with them collectively building one theme park. The instructor then had them pitch their idea like they would in front of a board.

The second day was Immersive Storytelling in Animal Kingdom where the students worked in a large group to discuss their favorite stories, review elements of a story, and discussed ways they were being immersed in the storytelling of Animal Kingdom. They broke into smaller groups to identify elements throughout the land of Pandora. Afterwards, using team work the whole group got to design their own theme park on Cowboys and Aliens focusing on architecture, costumes, food, live performances, overall color scheme, rides, and music.

The third day was a Teamwork class in Hollywood Studios where the students received high compliments from the Disney Educators. Students met with our Disney Educator at Hollywood Studios to learn about the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and how to overcome obstacles as a group. Students engaged in team building activities throughout the park including the cooperative activities of team juggling, retrieving a ball out of a leaky “pipe”, and ultimately solving and conquering an “escape room/scavenger hunt” activity in Galaxy’s Edge. Students learned about the importance of teammate’s different roles in a collaborative setting such as Disney. LEarning about how important the farmer, the drivers, the vendors, etc. all work together to create the “magic” at Disney, Comments from the instructor included that our students, “Thought outside the box!” and also were very “resilient” when faced with the challenges he gave them! The students enjoyed not only the lesson learned but the challenges that were given to them when learning about teamwork!

This trip wasn’t all fun and games. The students were learning the entire time and also working on personal goals. For many students this was their first flight or trip away from home without family. For others it was about learning to be self-sufficient and responsible. Progress was able to be seen through the newly forged friendships and leaders who emerged through the trip. Overall this experience was one that the students will remember for a very long time.

The group travels again in 2028 where 25 students will go to participate in the Youth Education Series at Universal Studios to take classes there.

— Submitted by Kelly MacDonald, TCCS Leadership Academy Primary Adviser