Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Find Special Olympics Near Me
We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place—one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time.
Your Program
Based on your location, your local program is %location%.
Your location could not be automatically determined. Choose a program below:
Your Special Olympics Local Program:
Looking for a different local program? Choose a program from the list below:
Africa
""
Asia Pacific
""
East Asia
""
Europe Eurasia
""
Latin America
""
Middle East North Africa
""
North America
""
Find It Fast
Find job opportunities with Special Olympics
What sports does Special Olympics offer?
Contact Special Olympics
Find events near me
Ways to give to Special Olympics

Search Results

There are 6,855 results that match your search. 6,855 results
Community Impact

Earth Day 2024: Special Olympics Sustainability Project Is Making Waves in Belgium And Italy

Beige canvas bag hanging over someone’s shoulder with the text ‘We’re Champions’ and the Special Olympics Belgium logo.
What impact do Special Olympics sports events—from food and travel to branding and waste—have on the environment? More importantly, what can we do about it?
About

Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Special Olympics is a global organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion among people with and without intellectual disabilities. We unleash the power of the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world.

Through year-round sports, health, education and community building, we change the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in 193 countries. We are providing opportunities and helping fight the intolerance, injustice, inactivity and social isolation faced by our four million athletes and Unified Sports® partners.

Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. Everyone involved in Special Olympics—including over 1.1 million coaches and volunteers—also benefits as we strive together for excellence and appreciation of all different abilities.
Global Center for Inclusion in Education

Research

""
Through its ongoing research efforts, the Special Olympics Global Center for Inclusion In Education will build a knowledge base that expands global understanding of the impact of high-quality inclusive sport and education on the lives of young people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Youth Innovation Projects

Project Application

A group of youth leaders from Special Olympics Venezuela lean against a railing for a photo
Are you Ready to Promote Inclusion in Your Community? Special Olympics awards project-based grants to young people with and without intellectual disabilities. These grants fund youth-led projects that promote inclusion in schools and communities across the globe. The application for the next Project Cycle will open on 1 August 2022.

Special Olympics Program Emergency Relief Fund

Group of people standing in a circle all putting their hands in the middle.
Special Olympics is the largest grassroots sports organization for people with intellectual disability globally. With inclusive sport, education, and health programming in over 200 countries, reaching over 3 million athletes with intellectual disability, our reach has drastically been affected by the devastation of COVID-19 worldwide. This Program Emergency Relief Fund will go directly to support country Programs globally as they rebuild for strength, scale, and inclusion.

DONATE TO THE FUND!

In the News

Education Experts Call for Greater Commitment to Inclusion in Education

Photo shows Nyasha Derera, Yasmine Sherif, and Dr. Tim Shriver, engaged in a discussion on transforming education systems to be fully inclusive of learners with disabilities.
On 18 April 2024, Special Olympics International (SOI) joined the Brookings Institution Center for Universal Education (CUE) and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in co-hosting the CUE Symposium on Education Systems Transformation for and through Inclusive Education.
In the News

SO Athletes and Tim Tebow Inspire Mets Big-Leaguers

Group of New York Mets players and SO athletes on the field for a group photo.
Every year, the St. Lucie Mets invites 50 Special Olympics Florida athletes to a spring kick-off pizza party.

HIGH 5 for Fitness

High 5 for Fitness is a set of resources for youth ages 8 – 21 to help you take control of your own fitness by making healthy choices. Being fit means that you eat well, drink plenty of water, and move a lot every day. Fit kids feel good and have lots of energy because their bodies are strong and healthy.
In the News

Watch Live: Education Experts Call for Greater Commitment to Inclusion in Education

Text Reads: Symposium Live Stream | Logos include: Brookings Institute, Special Olympics Global Center for Inclusion in Education, and GPE Transforming Education.
Experts from the Brookings Institution, Special Olympics International and the Global Partnership for Education will explore how policymakers can overcome current obstacles to make schools and communities more inclusive for learners with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Athletes

Special Olympics Michigan Sets Standard with Two Teams at NIRSA Championships at State-Of-The-Art Facilities

By RJ Nealon, April 16, 2024
Two Unified basketball teams pose for a group photo. Members are wearing uniforms and smiling for the photo.
It’s a crisp sunny day in late spring at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The 2024 NIRSA National Basketball Championships are taking place and two teams from Michigan are in town looking to bring home the championship.
Previous
Next