Engagement

This past spring, Special Olympics Youth Leaders Britany and Denisher embarked on a journey that would change their lives forever.

[Kigali, Rwanda – 17 September 2024] In recognition of Special Olympics Rwanda’s continued excellence in inclusive education, the country will play host to 50 delegates from 11 countries for the Special Olympics Africa Unified Champion Schools Workshop from 24 – 26 September at the Four Point Sheraton.

Eltheo and Charl aimed to create a soccer club for 14–16-year-old girls, hoping to inspire school-going youth by showing them there is a future and that they can succeed if they set their minds to something.

Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Program Officer Panos Vazaios reflects on the power of Special Olympics’ approach and the partnership between Special Olympics and SNF, including the Play Unified: Learn Unified initiative and the Global Coalition for Inclusion.

In July 2024, Special Olympics Global Center for Inclusion in Education and Special Olympics Argentina hosted the Excellence in Action: Expanding Unified Champion Schools workshop, with support from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, an event aimed at introducing and expanding Unified Champion Schools (UCS) programming.

Shahd and Abdelrahman have been appointed to the Global Youth Leadership Council. This is a testament to their unwavering dedication to inclusion and their tireless efforts to foster a sense of community and belonging for all.

Groundbreaking partnerships have Special Olympics Slovakia not just making history; they are shaping a future where sports education is inclusive, empowering, and transformative for all.

Leading Across Generations session, part of the 2024 Special Olympics Global Virtual Youth and Educator Summit, left attendees both inspired and empowered.

It’s the quiet time of year on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, but the presence of Special Olympics makes it lively. Special Olympics youth leaders, educators and Program staff lived on campus during the 2024 SONA National Leadership Event: To Inclusion and Beyond.

Special Olympics’ sport federation partner, Badminton World Federation (BWF), created and now celebrates World Badminton Day.