A warm Friends and Neighbors salute to the three South Florida youngsters have been selected to participate in the Disney Dreamers Academy with television personality and comedian Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine. Out of 5,000 applicants, the students were among the 100 selected for the innovative, once-in-a-lifetime, outside-the-classroom educational and mentoring program at the Walt Disney World Resort. The program will take place March 7-10.

Those from South Florida are:

• Cesar Castillo of Miami, a 17-year-old, who describes himself as "an ambition driven [person] who strives to become a successful social entrepreneur." Castillo speaks English and Spanish, and attends Miami Springs High. He enjoys public speaking, attending government and business meetings and playing golf and the violin. He wants to attend Stanford University.

• Kalin Houston lives in Davie and attends St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where she is a junior. She also is a member of the National Honor Society, Chapter Teen Vice President, Jack and Jill Inc. and co-founder of ThinkBIG. She plays varsity basketball and is an all-American in track and field. Her dream is to become a perinatal specialist to help high risk women deliver healthy babies.

• Aisha Louis, 17, lives in Hollywood and attends Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep School in Miami. She is a member of the Knightingales Concert Choir, a cheerleader for the boy’s varsity basketball team, a Student Council representative and junior class president. Her passions include health, writing, and music. She wants to attend Columbia University to study to become an obstetrician -gynecologist.

Each student and a guardian will be provided with an all-expense paid trip to Walt Disney world Resort. The teens will participate in and learn skills such as communication techniques and networking strategies. They will also participate in workshops with professionals and celebrities.

Dade Heritage Trust honored at UF

Here’s more good news: Dade Heritage Trust has been honored with the prestigious Beinecke-Reeves Distinguished Achievement Award in Historic Preservation. The award was presented on Feb. 15, at a reception on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville.

The award was presented by Morris Hylton III, director of Historic Preservation for UF’s College of Design, Construction and Planning. He mentioned the many accomplishments of Dade Heritage Trust since its founding in 1972. He especially noted the Trust’s advocacy battles to save the Miami Circle, the Freedom Tower, the Miami Marine Stadium and the Miami Herald building.

In accepting the award, Becky Roper Matkov, CEO of Dade Heritage Trust said, "Preserving old buildings in development-obsessed Miami has been an exhilarating adventure... Buildings of the past tell the story of a community’s history in three dimensions."

Jewish, female and funny

"Real to Reel", a documentary film series sponsored by the Miami Beach JCC, is now in session through March 19, at various venues.

"Making Trouble," will be shown at 7 p.m. Monday and at 1 p.m. on Tuesday at the Miami Beach JCC.

The film tells the story of six of the greatest female comic performers of the last century — Molly Picon, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Joan Rivers, Gilda Radner and Wendy Wasserstein. The screening will be hosted by four of today's funniest — Judy Gold, Jackie Hoffman, Cory Kahaney and Jessica Kirson. The documentary tells what its like to be Jewish, female and funny.