Making the most of the situation in this way gave them the idea to lead a Youth Innovation Project that brings art to other youth, both with and without intellectual disabilities, so that they too can express themselves through painting and make or maintain friendships. To expose more youth to art, Olivia and Mantas will lead art sessions in different Lithuanian cities and use the artwork to create a calendar that can be distributed in the community as a way of spreading the Special Olympics message and showing what Youth Leaders can do.


Over 9 months, Olivia and Mantas will conduct preparations for face-to-face gatherings and lead four art sessions throughout Lithuania. The participants will work together to create art pieces and, of those works, 12 will be selected to go into a calendar for 2023. Olivia and Mantas will give t-shirts to the winners of the artworks selected and will print 100 calendars to give to companies and other community members. Aside from bringing back in-person activities and providing a fun new way to create a connection among peers, Olivia and Mantas hope this project will help to reduce stress levels for participants and positively impact their emotional wellbeing. With this project, Olivia and Mantas provide an example of how to make the most of a tough situation and infuse it with some positivity.