[Johannesburg, South Africa - 24 February 2026] Today, the Special Olympics Africa Regional Youth Leadership Summit kicked off in Johannesburg, bringing together youth with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to build leadership skills and strengthen youth-led change across schools and communities.
From 24 – 26 February, 30 youth leaders from 14 countries across the Africa region are convening alongside athlete leaders, creating a shared space for learning and collaboration. Through hands-on training workshops, facilitated dialogue, and Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® visits, participants develop leadership skills, strengthening their understanding of project management, and create strategies to champion change both on and off the playing field. By intentionally bringing youth leaders and athlete leaders together, this Summit ensures that solutions are co-created by those most impacted.
This Regional Summit marks the next phase of Special Olympics’ Youth Leadership work, building on and elevating its established model to expand youth-led impact globally across 7 Special Olympics Regions. Through this model, youth leaders are developed at the regional, national, and local levels through three interconnected components:
- A cascading series of Youth Leadership Summits.
- Micro-grants for youth to lead grassroots projects.
- Expand opportunities for young people, with and without IDD, to drive change in schools and communities around the world.
While this Youth Leadership Summit in Johannesburg serves as a launching point, the impact of this next phase will extend beyond the events themselves. Youth leaders who attend these cascading summits will continue to apply their learning through youth-led grassroot projects and expanded leadership roles that extend into schools and communities. This approach reflects Special Olympics’ commitment to embedding young people as active changemakers in meaningful leadership roles across its work at all levels.
“Young people are not waiting for permission to lead. They are already shaping their schools, communities, and the world around them. When we empower youth with and without intellectual disabilities to help build a more inclusive society, they are creating real, lasting change that spans generations.”
Special Olympics believes that young people are central to building more communities that belong to all, and that investing in their leadership creates lasting impact not only now and but also for the future.
Around the world, young people with IDD are far too often excluded from education, leadership, and community life. This work directly addresses this challenge by uniting youth with and without IDD in meaningful leadership roles, creating opportunities in schools and communities, and driving sustainable, youth-led solutions that transform culture and systems from within.
“Africa is a youth powerhouse—young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow—they are the key to inclusion today. When we invest in youth leadership, we unlock innovation, resilience, and inclusive change through their reach and role in schools and communities. By empowering Special Olympics youth leaders with opportunities, skills, and a voice, we are shaping a future where every young person is valued, included, and able to lead with confidence and purpose.”
Special Olympics’ Youth Leadership work is supported through a multi-year partnership with the Bezos Family Foundation, which is investing in youth potential. This support enables Special Olympics to strengthen pathways for young people to lead change locally and globally. Building on Special Olympics’ decades-long leadership in inclusive youth programming, this collaboration connects resources to grassroots leadership and reinforces a shared belief that the future is led by young people.
"Through our partnership with Special Olympics, we are investing in young people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities who are strengthening their leadership skills and modeling belonging. Their leadership today is driving change in their schools and communities and shaping creating impact that will endure long into the future.”
