In the News

Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Program Officer Panos Vazaios reflects on the power of Special Olympics’ approach and the partnership between Special Olympics and SNF, including the Play Unified: Learn Unified initiative and the Global Coalition for Inclusion.

The Special Olympics Environmental Sustainability Impact project, funded by the European Union (EU), is now entering its final months. By the end of this year, the team will have produced a pioneering sustainability framework that can be used across our movement and beyond.

The following excerpt is from Tim Shriver’s op-ed, “A New Era of Special Education Begins with Inclusive AI,” published by Time Ideas:

Earlier this year as France ramped up to host the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Fanélie was asked to carry the Olympic Torch in the city of Lyon, France near her hometown of Saint-Chamond.

In July 2024, Special Olympics Global Center for Inclusion in Education and Special Olympics Argentina hosted the Excellence in Action: Expanding Unified Champion Schools workshop, with support from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, an event aimed at introducing and expanding Unified Champion Schools (UCS) programming.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan honored Novie Craven and Special Olympics with a YouTube Silver Creator Award on Monday, 13 August, marking Special Olympics reaching 100,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Shahd and Abdelrahman have been appointed to the Global Youth Leadership Council. This is a testament to their unwavering dedication to inclusion and their tireless efforts to foster a sense of community and belonging for all.

Leading Across Generations session, part of the 2024 Special Olympics Global Virtual Youth and Educator Summit, left attendees both inspired and empowered.

The following is an excerpt from TNT Sports’ article, “Special Olympics and Golisano Foundation: An Alliance for Inclusion” which details the work of Special Olympics and the Golisano Foundation as they challenge the health barriers faced by people with intellectual disabilities in Chile.

Special Olympics is racing toward a tech evolution. The athletes are leading the sprint.

A vibrant celebration of women’s and Unified basketball took place as the European Unified Women’s Basketball Tournament unfolded at the Kristalna Dvorana sports centre in Zrenjanin, Serbia, between 5-9 June.

Over the past few weeks, volunteer pair Reka Schatz and Beeke Brinkmann have been among the Special Olympics athletes and partners assisting at UEFA EURO 2024 - the third-largest sporting event in the world.