Disney’s ‘Friends for Change: Project Green’ Celebrates Second Year with New Videos

Starting May 30, new on-air messages will begin airing on Disney Channel and Disney XD. They feature nearly forty Disney stars including the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, as well as young environmental heroes. The spots will also be featured on Radio Disney and the recently redesigned program website, www.Disney.com/projectgreen.

The aim of this ambitious movement is to empower children to take charge when it comes to the environment, whether it’s their own piece of the planet or a big picture approach.

“With Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green, kids are discovering that helping the planet is easy and fun when they work together and have the right tools,” said Jennifer Anopolsky, senior vice president, Corporate Responsibility, The Walt Disney Company. “In just one year, participation has exceeded our wildest expectations and we’re building on that momentum by extending Friends for Change to kids in other parts of the world and enhancing the program with fresh new content, local community events, and more grant money that will empower kids with even more ways to get involved.”

Twelve months after the launch of Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green, kids have made nearly two million personal promises to change their daily routines, from unplugging electrical devices when not in use, to taking shorter showers.

Kids can also go global with their votes on where to allocate Disney grant money. As a result, one million dollars in grants from Disney are now supporting 25 critical environmental projects around the world.

With the new videos and web content debuting May 30, young people will learn even more ways to recycle, save water, help habitats and reduce energy consumption. They will also have the opportunity to again vote on how another $1 million in grants will support worthy environmental causes throughout the year.

Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green is setting the pace for environmental initiative. With nearly two million promises, kids have pledged to:

• Cut 70,000 tons of carbon emissions annually
• Reduce/recycle 2.4 million pounds of trash annually
• Save 120 million gallons of water per month

Kids are also learning about the power of their vote. Thanks to their input, Disney has donated more than one million dollars to 25 environmental projects in 15 countries, including:

• $50,000 to the National Resource Council to help fund a forest restoration project in Costa Rica.
• $25,000 to the African Wildlife Foundation to help protect elephant habitats in Zambia.

Kids can turn their own local environmental project into a reality. Disney’s Friends for Change grants, in collaboration with Youth Service America, provide seed money to help get them started. The next call for grant applications opens June 7. To date, these grants have positively influenced nearly 8,000 kids. See http://www.youthserviceamerica.org/grants/programs/friends-for-change for more information.

Kids can also help raise money through iTunes downloads of Disney’s Friends for Change anthems Send It On and Make A Wave. At last count, nearly $700,000, representing 100-percent of download proceeds, have been contributed to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.

Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green is set expand locally and globally in the coming year:

• Local events in cities across the country will inspire kids through hands-on experiences including tree-planting and clean-ups. The first event kicks off June 6th, World Oceans Day, at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
• Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green launched last month in Latin America. Kids have already made more than 200,000 promises! European markets are next in line.