Washington, D.C. — Aug. 25, 2023 — The 2023 – 2025 class of Special Olympics U.S. Youth Ambassadors were announced after a three-week application process. The 14 youth leaders with and without intellectual disabilities are making the nation more inclusive by serving as advocates, sharing stories, and demonstrating the values of inclusive youth leadership.
These young leaders are strong representatives for Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® programming—a strategy creating sports, leadership, and whole school engagementopportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities. The result is a school environment that promotes inclusion and respect for all. As many as 19.5 million young people are taking part in inclusive experiences through Special Olympics across the nation.
The diverse group of like-minded high school and college students are from Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Connecticut, Washington, and North Carolina. During their two-year tenure, the Youth Ambassadors will engage in speaking and advocating activities, including participating in local and national Special Olympics events, attending meetings with community and education leaders, and others. They participate in half a dozen sports and hold various leadership positions at their schools, including Unified Club Co-Presidents, Special Olympics State Youth Activation Council Presidents, and Co-Captains of Special Olympics Unified Sports® teams.
“These phenomenal young people are the torchbearer for inclusion and are leading their schools and communities toward a more equitable and accepting future. Special Olympics will provide training to help them develop leadership skills and find their voices, and we look forward to the results of their efforts and advocacy.”
Learn more about U.S. Youth Ambassadors here. For more information about Unified Champion Schools, please visit GenerationUnified.org.
