Jessica, a youth leader from Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, Ohio, noticed an opportunity to strengthen engagement between OSU students and the local Special Olympics community, particularly through the campus Scholars Program. She designed and hosted a multi-sport event that brought OSU students and Special Olympics athletes together to participate, connect, and have fun. The event featured basketball, track and field, flag football, and cornhole and received strong support and positive feedback from the Columbus community.

Despite taking place near final exams, the event brought together approximately 15 OSU students and 45 athletes for a day of sports, connection, and community engagement.
Jessica was inspired to develop this project after recognizing a need for greater collaboration and connection between OSU students and the local Special Olympics community. She saw the event as an opportunity to introduce students to Special Olympics, create meaningful opportunities for participation, and build stronger connections across the campus community.
The project facilitated campus community members with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities to meet, interact, and participate in various sports activities. With different competitions, participants strengthened their skills indifferent ways while boosting the importance of inclusion. Prizes were distributed throughout the event, such as snacks and gift card to encourage meaningful participation.

The project will continue through this academic school year, with many community members stating how they had such a great time and are looking forward to these future events.
The event created opportunities for OSU students and Special Olympics athletes to connect with one another and build a stronger sense of community both on and beyond campus. OSU students gained greater awareness of Special Olympics and learned more about opportunities to volunteer, participate, and support inclusive sports programming through Special Olympics Ohio.

By bringing together people who may not have otherwise connected on campus, the event helped strengthen community engagement while promoting skill development, participation in sport, and greater awareness of the importance of inclusion.
Jessica is most proud of creating an event that brought people together through sport and provided athletes with opportunities to connect with new members of the campus community and participate in inclusive sports. The event offered drinks, snacks, gift cards from local food chains, and, most importantly, an enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Jessica also highlighted the opportunity to collaborate with her club's executive team throughout the planning and implementation of the event. She took the lead on developing the schedule, purchasing food, coordinating with vendors, and securing gift cards for participants. Through the project, Jessica strengthened her leadership, planning, communication, and time-management skills while gaining valuable experience in organizing a community-wide event.