Jessica and Milley will lead a Youth Innovation Project to expand opportunities for youth with and without intellectual disabilities to participate in cultural arts programs in Côte d'Ivoire. Special Olympics athletes, Youth Leaders, and their families will join Jessica and Miliey in an inclusive cultural program. Through their project, participants will explore museums, galleries, exhibitions, and parklands to study and enjoy their nation’s rich heritage and culture in a welcoming environment that promotes inclusion. By creating opportunities for inclusion in cultural settings, Jessica and Miliey’s project will provide Special Olympics athletes and young people the ability to learn more about the Ivory Coast and share messages of acceptance with others in their community.

Over six months, Jessica and Miliey will lead their group in interactive workshops and activities that will explore local and national cultural arts while expanding knowledge of their country’s history. Following their workshops, participants will be given the tools and resources to share their stories on social media and spread messages of inclusion digitally. Jessica and Miliey hope to recruit new young people to join the Unified Generation as they create more opportunities for community engagement across Cote d’Ivoire.