Youth Changing Attitudes By Bryan Anthone & Clint Armistead, Team Kansas and Erin Vandersee & Sharon Duffey, Team Iowa • Read Healthy Hearing — Healthy Heart by Team Alaska, about a Healthy Hearing volunteer's aspirations for her daughter, a future Special Olympics athlete. • Read All This is Amazing by Team Kansas, about Special Olympics Director of Information Technology Aldis Berzins, who won a gold medal in volleyball at the 1984 Olympic Games. • Read And the Crowd Roars by Team Wisconsin, about an exciting game between Special Olympics Wisconsin and Special Olympics Delaware during softball competition. 7 July 2006 — Twelve students and six teachers from sea to shining sea came together in Ames, Iowa, on 1 July with the idea to share stories about the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games with the world. Little did they know that the Special Olympics athletes would change their lives forever. The 18 people came with their own personal experiences about Special Olympics and each individual has been touched in a way that will empower them to change the world. “Watching kids from different states come together and click is the best experience I have had so far,” stated Erin Vandersee from North Fayette, Iowa, who was the subject of an audio interview conducted by fellow Youth Summit participant Julie Balmaci.        < Click here to listen to the interviews > Youth Forum participants all signed a declaration to pledge their commitment to work in their schools and communities as one to make the world a better place. Through the National Youth Summit, each Special Olympics athlete is paired with a general education student from their school/area to brainstorm ideas that reflect the spirit of the Special Olympics Games. Ron Vederman, Special Olympics Director of School and Youth Outreach, and Nicolle Egan, National Youth Summit Director, head up the Summit. “We have had the opportunity to get to know each other like no other camp I've been to,” said Clint Armistead, from Overland Park, Kansas. “We've been able to do reports on the Games, have conversations with Eddie Barbanell from “The Ringer,” participate in a Youth Forum led by [Special Olympics Chairman] Tim Shriver, and all signed a Declaration of Acceptance to show our commit to the Special Olympics movement.” In addition to newspaper reporting, participants in the Summit joined together on 6 July for a Webinar. Each student was able to communicate through the Internet to people from across the country and share the movement, along with ideas of how they all will give back to their communities about what they have learned this week. The Summit 's ultimate goal is “change attitudes…change the world.” When the “Flame of Hope” goes out in Ames [on 7 July], the Summit 's challenge begins. These students, assisted by their teachers, are truly the link that will keep the Special Olympics athletes actively involved in their schools and communities. “I plan on talking to our athletic director about holding Opening Ceremonies at the beginning of the school year. These athletes are incredible and they deserve recognition and honor just like the rest of us,” said Michael Grenzer, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Youth Summit challenges everyone here at the Games to go back to their hometown and implement what they have done here at the Games into their everyday life. We have all signed a declaration committing our support and we will encourage others to do the same at our schools.      < Return to main USA National Games page >