Educators 

"Special Olympics is training for life." 

In a mainstream world, there are lessons in life and sport. Today, these are the facts of modern educational life:

• People with intellectual disabilities attend schools where competitive sports are not available to them.
• Students of all kinds need opportunities to serve their communities and experience diversity.

Special Olympics can help educators address both these needs.

 

How Teachers Can Help Reach and Teach

• Teachers can bring a class to volunteer at a local Special Olympics event.
• Physical education teachers can organize a one-day clinic.
• Teachers and students can help create, manage and coach a Special Olympics team.
• Schools can organize a Special Olympics Unified Sports® team through which students with and without disabilities compete together.
• School public service clubs or athletic teams can volunteer to raise funds or help with local or state games.
• With more than a million athletes today and 170 million people who could benefit from this program, there are many creative ways for your school to get services and life lessons from Special Olympics.

Inclusionary Sports Opportunities

Special Olympics offer programs that promote the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities and their peers. These include:

Unified Sports®

Unified Sports is a program that can involve students with intellectual disabilities with their non-disabled elementary, middle and high school peers through sports. Unified Sports brings together equal numbers of athletes with and without intellectual disabilities, and other closely related developmental disabilities, of similar age and ability, on the same team to train for competitions against other Unified Sports teams. Unified Sports program have also been beneficial to Parks/Recreation Departments, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Community Sports Organizations. Learn more about Unified Sports.

Partners Clubs®

Partners Clubs help non-disabled students and Special Olympics athletes learn to appreciate the value and strengths of each other as individuals. School sanctioned student groups/clubs volunteer their time to help as peer coaching, games organizers, events managers, officials and teammates. In addition, club members often conduct fund-raising events, plan social events and extend friendships beyond the sports program. Read more about Partners Clubs.

Sports Partnerships

Sports Partnerships offer individuals with intellectual disabilities an increased variety of sports training and competition opportunities. Sports Partnerships bring athletes with and without intellectual disabilities together in a setting where all athletes are challenged to improve their skills and develop friendships and understanding of each other's capabilities through a spirit of equality and team unity. Teams practice side by side and in some instances can compete at the same venue at the same or different times.

Get Into It®

Get Into It is a curriculum that provides regular education teachers with the tools and resources to introduce Special Olympics to students with and without disabilities. The resource kit offers materials to teach students to become aware of and understand disabilities and learn that people with disabilities can achieve goals in spite of barriers. Get Into It  activities give opportunities for non-disabled students to interact with Special Olympics athletes in the classroom and the playing field. View/download the Get Into It curriculum for free on Special Olympics Inc.'s website.

Teaching Young Athletes?

The Young Athletes Program is an innovative sports play program for children ages 2-7 with intellectual disabilities and their peers, designed to introduce them into the world of sports. The benefits to this program have been proven worldwide. First and foremost, these activities will help the children improve physically, cognitively and socially.  This program will also raise awareness of the Special Olympics program and serve as an introduction to the resources and support available within Special Olympics Florida to families, agencies, and schools.  Read more about this program.

Partnerships Opportunities with Special Olympics

In an era of divisiveness and confusion, Special Olympics can help unite students, promote understanding and build a sense of community.

What's more, as an organization with a 37-year track record involving thousands of schools worldwide, Special Olympics is a community partner that understands educational needs. As a result, you'll find that Special Olympics programs support inclusion, team building and character development goals. They also blend easily with your current academic units and lesson plans, and your people will get plenty of convenient, school-based training before getting involved with the community.

While you're facing lots of pressure to improve student achievement, character is equally important. With your time and resourced strapped as they are, a Special Olympics partnership can help you add that extra dimension that sets your school and your students apart. If you and your school would like to become involved in Special Olympics Florida or need more information, please contact us.