Disney Awards $1 Million in Grants to STEM and Creative Nonprofits in Honor of Black Panther Sequel

Disney has announced it is awarding $1 million in grants to nonprofits offering Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and arts education to youth from historically underrepresented communities in honor of Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever theatrical debut this weekend. Recipients include Girls Who Code, Ghetto Film School, The Hidden Genius Project, DonorsChoose in the U.S., Chicas en Tecnología in Argentina, and Destination Imagination in Asia Pacific. According to a press release, Disney hopes to "empower youth to pursue careers in the arts, media, and technology" through these financial grants. Disney also hosted screenings of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for these organizations.

"From its historic casting to advanced technology to culturally relevant storytelling, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of the greatest and most anticipated movies ever," said Jennifer Cohen, executive vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility for The Walt Disney Company in a press release. "When young people watch this film, we want them to walk away believing that their futures are boundless and being inspired to pursue their passions, grow their skills, and share their unique talents with the world."

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever community screenings

Disney hosted multiple advanced community screenings of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in select cities in the U.S. to benefit these nonprofit groups. They included screening events in Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, and Atlanta (with another still to come in Orlando). The events included a red carpet, photo ops, a video message from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's cast, and surprise appearances by Dora Milaje.

Target also hosted over 130 community screenings of the film for local nonprofits in 10 markets (with more to come in Orlando and Miami) in collaboration with AMC Theatres. In total, almost 25,000 young people saw the film before it opened wide in theaters.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Disney Future Storytellers

Disney Future Storytellers is an initiative described as "intended to empower the next generation of diverse creators and innovators. Through educational programs, scholarships, mentoring, and technical skill-building, Disney is increasing access to careers in the media, entertainment, technology, and hospitality industries for teens and young adults from historically underrepresented communities. The initiative's efforts include (per Disney):

• Serving as one of the lead sponsors of Propel Center, a first-of-its-kind education hub for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Through this collaboration, Disney is working with HBCU faculty and industry leaders to create curricula that prepare students for careers in technology and entertainment.
• Launching the Disney Storytellers Fund at Howard University, which provides stipends over a five-year period for student projects focused on storytelling across a variety of media.
• Supporting ChickTech's 2022-2023 High School program, a year-long series of technology workshops, mentoring, and internship connections for 8th-12th grade students.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters worldwide.