2007 International Family Leadership & Support Summit Curriculum (Tentative) Summit delegates will arrive in Shanghai by 1 October 2007 and remain for the duration of the World Games, departing on 12 October 2007. While at the Games, delegates will receive training on all aspects of Special Olympics, participate in events and receptions, serve in prominent roles in the Family Forum and work with Special Olympics staff on several initiatives to gain hands-on experience. Following is a preliminary list of the activities included in the 12-day International Family Leadership & Support Summit: Athlete Leadership Programs Introduction & Leadership Training Summit delegates will have the opportunity to learn more about Special Olympics Athlete Leadership Programs (ALPs) from athlete leaders themselves. A number of Special Olympics International Global Messengers will give a presentation on the principles, benefits and application of ALPs. The Global Messengers will then conduct several activities with the Family Leaders designed to hone their leadership skills in the same manner that the Global Messengers were trained. Summit delegates will then be assigned, in groups, to accompany one of the Global Messengers throughout the following day to develop their understanding of the abilities of Special Olympics athletes to serve as leaders in the movement and beyond. Collecting Special Olympics Family Stories Summit delegates will receive introductory journalism training at the beginning of their 12-day stay at the 2007 World Games. The training will provide them with a set of tools that will prepare them to interview Special Olympics family members at the Games. Delegates will meet each evening to share and select the best stories to include on the 2007 World Games Web site, the Special Olympics Web site and the Games daily newspaper. These stories will become part of the Global Families Stories project. Family Forum Summit delegates will play a significant role in the planning and implementation of the 2007 Global Family Forum. Delegates will be expected to be active participants in every aspect of the Family Forum. Healthy Athletes Training Summit delegates will receive training on Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® initiatives, including brief presentations on Fit Feet, FUNfitness, Health Promotion, Healthy Hearing, MedFest, Opening Eyes® and Special Smiles®. The presentations will seek to give the delegates a general understanding of the different Healthy Athletes initiatives, equipping them with knowledge to share with other family members in their countries and regions. Delegates will also receive first-hand experience with Healthy Athletes by touring the Healthy Athletes venue with Healthy Athletes staff and volunteers. This experience will help Family leaders gain perspective on the workings of Healthy Athletes and better prepare them to serve as advocates of the initiative in their home countries and regions. Inaugural Family Leadership Congress At the end of the Summit, delegates will be charged with electing the next class of Global Family Leaders. Regional Family Leaders will vote with the other delegates from their region for one person to represent the region as the 2007-2009 Global Family Leader. Once the group has selected the new Global Family Leaders, they will be formally inducted by the former Global Family Leaders and charged with fostering the continued development of Special Olympics family programming around the world. The new Global Family Leaders will then assume responsibility for directing their Regional Family Leadership Team’s proposals. Information and Awareness Booth Each day that Special Olympics Town (or Festival Village) is open, a Family Information and Awareness Booth will be staffed by two Summit delegates on a rotating basis. At the booth, literature about the Family Support Network, Young Athletes™ and other family initiatives will be distributed. In addition, the booth will serve as a repository for collecting stories from family members who may be coaches, athletes, spectators, etc. Family delegates will participate in meetings to develop Regional Proposals for Special Olympics family programming. Team-Building Activities Regional Family Leadership Teams will meet with one another on their first day for introductions, story sharing and activities designed to familiarize them with one another as well as with the Shanghai prefecture and Games systems such as transportation and guest services. Activities might include a challenge for the team to go to a certain venue and take a group picture. Summit delegates will complete several other team-building exercises throughout the week with their teams, as well as with Family Leaders from other regions. Team & Group Planning Sessions Summit delegates will participate in daily meetings to develop Regional Proposals for Special Olympics family programming. Delegates will work in Regional Family Leadership Teams to plan and draft proposals that seek Special Olympics family programming development in their respective regions. Delegates will present their team’s proposals to other teams; following World Games, delegates will work with Special Olympics regional staff and Program leadership to enhance and implement their proposed actions. The proposals will include priorities for global and regional family programming. These sessions will advance the teams’ proposals based on the different training and experiences of the day. Special Olympics Sports The Special Olympics Sports Department will conduct a brief presentation on all the official sports and sports resources available to Special Olympics Programs around the world. The goal of this session is to widen the perspective of Family Leaders as they embark on building Special Olympics family programming throughout the world. Schools & Youth Training & Planning Summit delegates will become intimately acquainted with Special Olympics Schools & Youth programming. Delegates will participate in several events with the 2007 Special Olympics Global Youth Summit participants to broaden their perspective on the youth involved in Special Olympics, both as athletes and peers. Delegates will hear presentations by Special Olympics staff and volunteers, as well as from the Youth Summit delegates. In addition to the training, delegates will attend and support the Global Youth Forum at the 2007 Games, gaining more hands-on experience with the organization and on-site management of events. Volunteer Perspective Summit delegates will participate in discussions and presentations regarding the importance of volunteers to Special Olympics. The goal of this session will be to further expand Family Leaders’ knowledge about a vital pillar of Special Olympics. Delegates will also be encouraged to talk to various volunteers working at the 2007 World Games to collect their stories and begin to create a database of the volunteer experience. Young Athletes Training Summit delegates will receive both training in and hand-on experience with Special Olympics Young Athletes™. Training will include presentations by experienced Special Olympics staff who will relay the goals, objectives and fundamental philosophy of the program, which reaches out to children with intellectual disabilities and their families before the children are old enough to compete in Special Olympics. Delegates will receive first-hand experience with Young Athletes by working at and participating in the Young Athletes demonstrations and introductions during the 2007 Games. Family delegates at the Special Olympics Youth Summit pose for photo during tennis tournament. Post-Games Action The Regional Family Leadership Teams, including their newly elected Global Family Leader, are expected to draw on their rich experience at the 2007 World Games to work with one another and their counterparts in other regions to enhance Special Olympics family programming around the world. The Teams will communicate regularly with one another to share information, offer support and drive fundamental change throughout their regions based on proposals that they set forth at the 2007 Games. Following are the specific duties of Global and Regional Family leaders: Global Family Leaders will be expected to maintain regular communications with their Regional Family Leadership Teams, other Global Family Leaders, Program leadership and Special Olympics headquarters. Regional and Global Family Leaders will be expected to attend regional events such as Special Olympics Regional Games and competitions. Regional Family Leadership Teams should plan at least one regional family event, such as a Family Forum or training. Regional and Global Family Leaders are responsible for planning national family events in their home country. Global Family Leaders are expected to travel to the 2009 World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho (USA), to facilitate the next 2009 International Family Leadership & Support Summit. Global and Regional Family Leaders are expected to represent Special Olympics at all times in a manner consistent with the mission of Special Olympics Return to International Family Leadership & Support Summit Home.