Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Find Special Olympics Near Me
We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place—one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time.
Your Program
Based on your location, your local program is %location%.
Your location could not be automatically determined. Choose a program below:
Your Special Olympics Local Program:
Looking for a different local program? Choose a program from the list below:
In the News

Youth Leaders Answering the Call to Build Back Better

It is during these times of the unknown that the need for innovation and creativity emerges. In the following videos, Special Olympics Youth Leaders share how they took on the challenge of a new, virtual normal, and committed to creating innovative projects portraying an uncertain time.
Edna and Aldina stand together in front of a poster featuring Aldina.

COVID-19 has profoundly affected the lives of people around the globe—including our youth leaders. Everyone has had to shift how they learn, work, play, and interact with others. Now more than ever, the need for innovation and creativity is now. This past year, Special Olympics Youth Leaders took on the challenge of COVID-19 by creating projects that portrayed their new reality—inclusion in their homes, schools, and communities in a virtual setting.

This upcoming week, as part of the UN’s observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we are going to hear from Youth Leaders in six of our Regions who represent a new wave of creativity, and who are helping to reinforce the need for inclusion during this time.

Cycle 5 Youth Innovation Projects
Celebrating these Youth Leaders on this International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Check out each of the Regional videos below!

Special Olympics East Asia – Sou Sing Ieng (SO Macau) & Genmao Gao (SO China)
Special Olympics Europe Eurasia – Edna & Aldina (SO Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Special Olympics Latin America – Fabricio & Gabriel (SO Argentina), Olivia & Thomas (SO Chile)
Special Olympics Middle East/North Africa – Soukaina Sahi & Mohcine Zaam (SO Morocco)
Special Olympics North America – Chassity & Granville (SO Virginia)

Join us in celebrating these Youth Leaders on this International Day of Persons with Disabilities and learn more about the Cycle 5 Youth Innovation Projects.

Recommended Content

Lead to Include—Regional Youth Leadership Summits

Over the past year, more than 250 Youth Leaders with and without intellectual disabilities gathered at 6 Regional Youth Summits to build a more inclusive world—starting in their own communities.

Cooking Up Inclusion with Special Olympics Youth Leaders

Special Olympics athletes are known for their athleticism, determination, and all-around inclusion. However, their skills go way beyond the fields and into places like kitchens!
1 Min Read

Innovators of the Week: Paola and Maria

Around the world, Youth Leaders with and without intellectual disabilities are leading community-based projects for inclusion. Paola and Maria, two Special Olympics youth leaders from El Salvador, share their experiences working together to create change.
2 Min Read