Largest-ever HBCU Week college fair coming to Walt Disney World Resort

This year, for the first time ever, Walt Disney World Resort is hosting a Disney On the Yard event where high school students from across the southeast and beyond will descend on Walt Disney World Resort next month for the largest-ever HBCU Week featuring a huge college fair, a parade of high-stepping marching bands, a fierce battle of the bands and a live ESPN broadcast.

The October 7-9 College Fair is in partnership with HBCU Week Foundation, which is designed to encourage high school-aged youth to enroll in HBCUs and create a pipeline for employment. In addition to fun and entertainment, the program will also hand out, on-the-spot college acceptance letters and partial to full ride scholarships. More than $10 million in scholarships are expected to be awarded.

Disney On the Yard works to create opportunities for future storytellers and to strengthen relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, The Walt Disney Company takes recruitment efforts directly to those campuses. Disney On The Yard is a one-of-a-kind program offering students enrolled at HBCUs, the chance to showcase their skills and talent to The Walt Disney Company.

"We just want, for these students to have a chance to have a successful career. So whether that's Disney or another company, for us, the heart of it is, creating opportunities for mentorship, access and opportunity to attend college and go on to be successful in your career and we hope Disney is one of the companies you consider," said Avis Lewis, Vice President Human Resources, Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Parks International / Executive Champion, "Disney On The Yard."

For more details on the upcoming Disney On The Yard event at Walt Disney World Resort and for students to register for the College Fair, visit www.HBCUWeek.org.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent organization of Walt Disney World Resort, ESPN and this station.