Tesa and Brooke are executing a campaign called "Tee off for Inclusion" to encourage youth in their community to get involved with the Special Olympics and Unified Sports clubs at their schools and also get some new ones established.
About the Project Leaders
Tesa is a 14-year-old ninth grader at Tavares High School, in Tavares, FL. Tesa has been involved with Special Olympics for the past 3 years as a Unified partner. She became a Youth Leader because she sees the value in Unified Champion Schools, and has made great friendships with other athletes. Tesa really enjoys interacting with other athletes both inside of school and out.
Brooke is a 15-year-old ninth grader at Tavares High School, in Tavares, FL. Brooke has been a member of a Unified Champion Schools chapter within her school system for the past 3 years. This year she is participating in Unified Sports and is having a great time on the field! Brooke became a Youth Leader because she has a lot of fun on the field with her fellow athletes!
The Inspiration
Tesa and Brooke participated in a very active Unified Champion School when they were in middle school. Upon entering high school, they noticed that there was little activity with Special Olympics. They saw how valuable and impactful the program was for so many students with and without ID, so they decided that with the help from a teacher, they would build up the high school’s Special Olympics program. Since leaving the middle school, and the teacher who served as liaison for the program also leaving, the middle school’s program has largely gone inactive. Tesa and Brooke hope to revive that Special Olympics program and make an impact on their entire school district in the process!
The Plan
Tesa and Brooke plan to disseminate a campaign called “Tee Off for Inclusion” to help encourage more middle and high schools within their district to incorporate Special Olympics programming and Unified club at their schools. Through various speeches, meetings with school leaderships, and informational flyers, Tessa and Brooke plan to grow “Tee Off for Inclusion” all across their district. To celebrate all the new schools Special Olympics Clubs, they will host an inclusive field trip to Top Golf for members!
Project Goals
Through their project, Tesa and Brooke hope to achieve the successful implementation of a Unified Champion Schools chapter in every middle school and high school in their district. They feel that all students in their district would benefit from the presence of Special Olympics on their campus.
