Ben, 16, is a Youth Leader from Georgia, USA. He recently became a volunteer for Special Olympics to develop friendships and to make a difference in his community. Ben was inspired to become a Youth Leader because he understands how social experiences can be challenging for many young people with and without intellectual disabilities.
Ben has hands-on experience with robotics competitions and technology. His coach worked to find out and celebrate each person’s strengths so that everyone felt successful. Ben noticed that his experience was unique and that outside of robotics there are not many other opportunities for inclusive competition in his community.
Through his project, Ben plans to increase opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities to have fun with other students in an inclusive, diverse, and competitive environment that focuses on science and technology. Ben plans to organize a Unified Robotics program in his community modeled on the national Unified Robotics program.

Over the course of 6 months, Ben will organize a middle school division and a high school division with assigned teams. Each team will have a student team leader and include students with and without intellectual disabilities. Ben will coordinate mentors, volunteers, and local sponsors prior to student registration to assist with the 6-week team-building program where students build their robot for the competition, learn STEM related concepts, and develop as a team. On competition day, each team will have the opportunity to showcase and discuss their robot and the steps taken to build and program it.
Ben wants to tear down barriers that foster social exclusion and create environments that welcome people of all abilities! His goal is to expand opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities so that everyone can engage in fun and inclusive activities.