Disney and Lucasfilm Team Up with FIRST to Inspire the Next Generation of Heroes and Innovators

Star Wars: Force for Change Philanthropic Initiative to
Help Expand Access to FIRST Programs with $1.5M Donation from
Disney

Star Wars: Force for Change Twitter Sweepstakes launches at Star
Wars Celebration for a chance to win a vacation to visit Star Wars:
Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland® Resort

MANCHESTER, N.H. & BURBANK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–lt;a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIRSTinspires?src=hash” target=”_blank”gt;#FIRSTinspireslt;/agt;–Lucasfilm and parent company Disney, and the global K-12 nonprofit
organization FIRST^®
(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) today
announced they are teaming up to inspire the next generation of heroes
and innovators. As part of their Star Wars: Force for Change philanthropic
initiative, Disney and Lucasfilm are providing a $1.5 million donation,
in-kind and mentorship resources to help expand access to FIRST programs
for more students globally, with a focus on underserved communities.

“Star Wars has always inspired young people to look past what is
and imagine a world beyond,” said Kathleen Kennedy, President of
Lucasfilm. “It is crucial that we pass on the importance of science and
technology to young people—they will be the ones who will have to
confront the global challenges that lie ahead. To support this effort,
Lucasfilm and Disney are teaming up with FIRST to bring learning
opportunities and mentorship to the next generation of innovators.”

As a robotics community, FIRST has inspired millions of students
and provided opportunities that prepared young people for the future.
Each year, more than 600,000 students participate in team-based,
mentor-guided FIRST programs in 100+ countries around the world,
building confidence in STEM and growing into well-rounded,
community-focused leaders of the future.

“Disney has been a long-time supporter of FIRST, providing
mentorship, support and even hosting our FIRST Championship event
over the years.” said Donald E. Bossi, president of FIRST. “This
is an incredible opportunity to bring together world-class Star Wars storytellers
and engineers, their passionate fans, and the innovative, inspirational
community of FIRST to expand access to our programs and raise a
generation of global STEM citizens.”

More information about how FIRST, Disney and Lucasfilm are
inspiring a new generation of heroes can be found at firstinspires.org/force-for-change.

During Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, Star Wars: Force for
Change also announced a Twitter sweepstakes to help spread awareness
of FIRST. Visit the official Star Wars Twitter account at twitter.com/starwars
and retweet the announce video with #StarWarsFFCSweepstakes between
April 13th and 22nd to enter for a chance to win a vacation to visit Star
Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort. This vacation also
will include a guided tour by a Disney Imagineer throughout the all new
land.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter Sweepstakes between 4/13/19 at 8:00
AM PDT and 4/22/19 at 11:59 PM PDT. Open to legal residents of the 50
U.S. & D.C., Puerto Rico and Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 13+ at
time of entry. Limit 1 entry per person. Visit https://starwars.com/FFCsweeps
for Official Rules including details on how to enter, eligibility
requirements, odds of winning, prize descriptions and limitations. Void
in Quebec and where prohibited. Sponsor: Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, 1110 Gorgas
Ave, San Francisco, CA 94129.

About FIRST^®
Accomplished
inventor Dean
Kamen founded FIRST^®
(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to
inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based
in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative
programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while
motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology,
and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies
and more than $80 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit
organization hosts the FIRST^®
Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST^®
Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST^®LEGO^®
League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST^®
LEGO^® League Jr. for Grades K-4. Gracious
Professionalism^® is a way of doing things that encourages
high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects
individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org.

About Star Wars: Force for Change
Star Wars: Force
for Change aims to create transformation and change in the lives of
kids by helping to bridge the STEM skills gap, utilizing the fun and
intrigue of Star Wars storytelling to inspire innovation, help
build confidence and ignite curiosity. In doing so, Star Wars: Force
for Change hopes to embolden and motivate the next generation of
heroes and innovators, while also empowering the Star Wars fan
community to use their fandom for good.

About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film,
television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its
motion-picture and television production, the company’s activities
include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital
animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the
global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties
including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES
franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties
are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other
countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM 2019
Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company,
together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment
company with operations in four business segments: Media Networks;
Parks, Experiences and Products; Studio Entertainment; and
Direct-to-Consumer and International. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had
annual revenues of $59.4 billion in its Fiscal Year 2018.

Contacts

Kylie Potuznik
415-746-2399
kpotuznik@lucasfilm.com

Brooke Blew
603-206-2048
bblew@firstinspires.org

Haley Dunn
603-206-2494
hdunn@firstinspires.org