Maya, 16, and Jackson, 17, are Youth Leaders from Special Olympics Colorado. They are both passionate about inclusion and showing the power of friendship among people of all abilities.
Maya and Jackson noticed there were little opportunities for inclusive activities in their rural community outside of school. Even though their school district has a great special needs program, most Unified activities in their state are far away from people in town and there isn’t an established space to host Unified events. Maya and Jackson plan to change this!
Maya and Jackson will lead an effort to hold inclusive events in their town and the surrounding areas every month. Activities will include games, karaoke, dance classes, cooking classes, yoga, and blanket making. The mayor of the town where Maya and Jackson attend school supports this project and will assist in its implementation. All activities will be free of charge and will be held in local community centers. This will ensure people of all ages and abilities can access the inclusive events.
When Maya and Jackson bring these opportunities of inclusive to their community, they hope it will promote Special Olympics outside of the school setting. They also hope to reach younger audiences and people who have never been to an inclusive event before. Maya and Jackson hope these events will create a sense of belonging and acceptance and provide people with the energy to spread the message of inclusion.