Youth Leadership and Advocacy
Youth Summits
Special Olympics Pennsylvania Youth Summits are where local youth leaders gather, discover & develop their leadership skills to promote inclusion in their school communities.
The goal of a Youth Summit is for student leaders to begin collaborating & planning for Whole School Engagements and club activities that provide inclusive opportunities for their school communities.
To learn more, follow this link.
To view photos from the 2023 Youth Summits, follow the links below!
Youth Summit Photos 1
Youth Summit Photos 2
Inclusive Youth Leadership
Inclusive Youth Leadership (IYL): Students with and without intellectual disabilities working together to lead and plan advocacy, awareness, and other Special Olympics and related inclusive activities throughout the school year.
Examples include Unified Clubs or a similar inclusive student groups.
Special Olympics U.S. Youth Ambassadors
The Special Olympics U.S. Youth Ambassadors are a group youth leaders with and without intellectual disabilities who are striving to make the nation a more inclusive place for all. These youth leaders act as advocates, share stories, and demonstrate the values of Inclusive Youth Leadership across the country. Through training, engagement, and activation at the national level, U.S. Youth Ambassadors are strong leaders of the Inclusion Revolution.
We're honored to announce that Hannah Huddleson and Meghan Duffy will be representing Pennsylvania as Special Olympics North America U.S. Youth Ambassadors for the 2023-2025 term!
Only 7 Unified pairs are accepted each year, and we’re so excited to follow them on this new adventure with the Special Olympics! To follow Hannah & Meghan on thier jouney, use this link!
Unified Ambassadors
Special Olympics Pennsylvania Unified Ambassadors lead Unified Champion Schools and is made up of young leaders representing middle schools, high schools and colleges statewide. The ambassadors form a group of youth comprised of members with and without intellectual disabilities from across the state.
Throughout the year, this group works together to educate, motivate, and activate youth to become agents of change in their communities and advocate for the respect, inclusion, and acceptance of all people, regardless of abilities. Unified Ambassadors use a wide variety of tools to communicate effectively, such as e-mail, conference calls, Facebook, state summits, and state rallies. The goal of the program is to reach out to other youth to help carry out social justice for all people. For more information, check out our one pager.