SOHH an Hamburger Partnerschulen // Special Olympics at Schools is a youth-led project in Hamburg that used school partnerships to expand awareness and inclusion through sports events and classroom engagement. The highlight was the Hamburg Special Needs Schools Running and Walking Festival, where students with and without intellectual disabilities participated together. The project created visible, energetic moments of inclusion and drew new schools into the Special Olympics network.
Youth leaders Emilio and Carolina Jungclaus were inspired by their experiences at Special Olympics Hamburg and the positive energy they saw at previous events. Emilio, an athlete with ID, and Carolina, his younger sister, wanted to create more chances for students of all backgrounds to come together. They were motivated by the belief that schools are powerful places to grow the movement for inclusion.
The project included school presentations, Unified activities, and volunteering at sports festivals, with students from Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium helping lead. The Running and Walking Festival at Jahn Kampfbahn brought together multiple schools, with students not only participating but also managing logistics like registration and setup. The program fostered cooperation, visibility, and lasting school partnerships.
The project engaged 480 Special Olympics athletes and 120 students without ID, created 2 new Unified Schools, and expanded programming in 6 more. Two new youth leaders were introduced, and the event was supported by students from several grades who played leadership and support roles. While social media reach was modest, in-person participation and school-based engagement were significant.
Emilio and Carolina are most proud of the friendships made and the shared joy across school communities. They strengthened their organizational and public speaking skills and gained confidence in planning and leading inclusive events. They hope to continue organizing inclusive running festivals with more schools across Hamburg.