Adri-Anne and Chris-Ann are Youth Leaders from Special Olympics Jamaica who wanted to address the lack of inclusive opportunities for students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in local schools. When their project began, there were no Unified Schools programs in Jamaica, inspiring them to create new opportunities for students to connect and learn together.

Their project was part of the Unified Youth Exchange between Special Olympics Jamaica and Special Olympics District of Columbia. Through the Exchange, Youth Leaders worked in Unified pairs to identify challenges related to inclusion in their communities and design and implement projects to address them.
Adri-Anne and Chris-Ann drew inspiration from their mentors, whose guidance and insights helped shape the project. Throughout the experience, they developed new perspectives on inclusion, with one Youth Leader reflecting that the project changed how they think and how they will approach situations in the future.
Adri-Anne and Chris-Ann established a school club focused on teaching students about inclusion. By partnering with a local school serving students with IDD, they created Unified pairs that participated in extracurricular activities together.

The club provided regular opportunities for students with and without IDD to interact, build friendships, and experience inclusion firsthand. Through shared activities, the Youth Leaders also raised awareness of the Special Olympics movement and the importance of creating welcoming school communities.
The project helped raise awareness about inclusion in the school community through Unified Sports and other engaging activities. By bringing students together in a shared space, Adri-Anne and Chris-Ann fostered opportunities for connection, understanding, and meaningful relationships among peers with and without IDD.
Through the project, Adri-Anne and Chris-Ann learned the importance of patience, understanding, and kindness. They strengthened their leadership skills and saw how these qualities influenced their interactions with their peers.

Above all, they were proud of their personal growth and the opportunity to help create a more inclusive environment for students in their community.