They were inspired by their involvement in Special Olympics to spread a culture of inclusion beyond sports by organizing a paint night for youth in kindergarten all the way through high school and, in doing so, giving them the chance to create relationships with people they might not otherwise get a chance to work with. By leading this project, Jasie and Macaden hope to expose youth to people with intellectual disabilities from a younger age so that inclusion becomes the norm instead of the exception.

Over six months, Jasie and Macaden will recruit over 200 students from feeder schools in their community, including students both with and without intellectual disabilities, to take part in an inclusive paint night. Jasie and Macaden believe that this will further grow awareness about intellectual disabilities and promote inclusion in their community by involving young people who aren’t interested in Unified Sports. Their hope is that this will get more youth interested in being active members of the Unified Generation and that they can get enough supplies to hold this event multiple times a year so that youth can maintain the relationships they’ve formed. Jasie and Macaden believe that this will grow unity and awareness in their community and contribute to normalizing inclusion early on, making the future a more inclusive one.