Leadership is not built in isolation. It is developed through learning, collaboration, and a shared commitment to creating meaningful change. That philosophy sits within Special Olympics Leadership Academy.
For participants, the Academy offers an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. Some join seeking to become more effective leaders, while others are looking to expand their skills.
"When I started Leadership Academy, I was really focused inward on personal development and becoming a more effective leader," said Jeremy.
"I wanted to gain new skills, find ways that I could serve the organization in new ways, and grow as a professional," added Onolee.
The impact of Leadership Academy extends well beyond the classroom. Participants are encouraged to apply what they learn to real-world challenges facing the movement, turning ideas into action and leadership into measurable impact.
"It's become very clear that it's not only important for me personally, but it's been vital for my day job, for our region, for our team," Jeremy said.
For some participants, that impact has taken the form of projects that improve how Special Olympics operates and engages stakeholders across the movement.
One such project emerged from athlete leaders Haley and Caitlin, who recognized a challenge shared by many departments: while there was a strong commitment to athlete inclusion, many staff members were unsure where to begin.
"A lot of departments don't know where to start or what they should be including athletes on," said Haley.
Together, Haley and Caitlin developed a practical resource designed to help staff meaningfully engage athletes in projects, initiatives, and decision-making processes across the organization.
The result was an Athlete Engagement One-Pager and Brochure that provides guidance on why athlete engagement matters, how athletes can contribute, and best practices for creating meaningful opportunities for participation.
"We both are really passionate about athletes having a seat at the table," said Haley.
The resources emphasize that athlete engagement is not about checking a box. By helping staff understand when and how to engage athletes, the resources aim to strengthen inclusion across departments and create more opportunities for athletes to contribute as leaders.
"There would be no Special Olympics without the athletes," Haley said. "Athletes should be in every area."
"If athletes aren't included, you're not listening to them. You're not hearing their voices."
The project reflects one of the key principles of Leadership Academy, leadership development should create tangible impact throughout the movement.
"What makes this project so important is that it's going to influence the way we work every day," Chris said. "It's going to create greater opportunities for athlete engagement and athlete employment across Special Olympics."
As Leadership Academy continues to develop leaders throughout the movement, projects like the Athlete Engagement One-Pager and Brochure demonstrate the power of bringing people together to learn, collaborate, and innovate.
"The real value of Leadership Academy is that it gives everybody an opportunity to come together and inspire one another," Chris said. "That inspiration fuels the momentum we need to propel our organization forward."
The Athlete Engagement One-Pager and Brochure are now available to help departments and Programs create more meaningful opportunities for athlete involvement, ensuring that athletes remain at the center of the work and decisions that shape the future of Special Olympics.
The Athlete Engagement One-Pager and Brochure are just one example of the innovation emerging from Leadership Academy. Throughout the program, participants were placed into cross-functional teams and challenged to develop seed projects that address opportunities and challenges facing the movement.
At the conclusion of the Academy, each team presented its project to colleagues and a panel of judges, sharing ideas designed to strengthen Special Olympics and advance its mission. Over the next year, these teams will continue refining and implementing their projects, turning learning into action and demonstrating how Leadership Academy is not only developing leaders, but also generating solutions that will create lasting impact across the organization.