Boys & Girls Clubs of America x Special Olympics

Our partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America

The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of America is to enable all young people to reach their potential.

Young people today face many challenges. Such as achieving personal and academic success. Or feeling safe both in emotional and physical ways. For a young person, the typical school and social environment be hard. This can impact their overall happiness and development.
The new partnership between Special Olympics and Boys & Girls Clubs of America will create systemic change. This will impact both present and future generations of young people. We will do this by using the Unified model in Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. This is a a new way for young people to experience inclusive programming outside the classroom.

For more information about Boys & Girls Clubs check out:

About this Video

This video is a case study showcasing the new partnership between Special Olympics and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. We travel to the Mississippi Delta to see how Boys & Girls Clubs and Special Olympics work together to provide inclusive programming for youth with and without intellectual disabilities.  By providing Unified programming within the setting of a Boys & Girls Club there is an opportunity to build and grow inclusive mindsets among the wider community. Hear from representatives of Special Olympics and Boys & Girls Clubs about how young people benefit from this programming. Then, see Unified Sports in action as the Unified cheer team thrives on the competition stage at the 2022 USA Games in Orlando, Florida this past summer.

#UnifiedGeneration Review

Former U.S. Youth Ambassador and current Unified Champion Schools consultant Tajha Ilerant had the following to say about the impact of the above video:

This video is about the Boys & Girls Club of the Mississippi Delta and how alongside Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, they were able to bring the whole community together. They created  bonds, friendships, and meaningful Inclusion within the community. The thing I loved best about this video was the diversity throughout the whole video. It was super powerful.  

This video is super important because it shows you how the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools can make an impact on everyone, not just the athletes but the adults and anyone who really gets involved. I really did like seeing and hearing the impact this partnership  has had on the adults. You were able to see how passionate they were about being involved within the movement. I honestly believe that this organization has changed their lives and the community.  

When people watch this video I hope they notice how important it is to get involved within the Special Olympics movement and how important it is to have your community, like Boys & Girls Clubs, be a part of it as well.  When people being to watch this video, I just would like for them to ask themselves these three questions: 

  1. How can I get my community involved and get them to be a part of this amazing organization ? 
  2. What are some ways that I can personally bring inclusion to my community?  
  3. What are some more ways that I can get my community on track to provide this programming  to every student and athlete?