College and university campuses across the country have a long history with Special Olympics, from UCLA, to Notre Dame, to Harvard. College campuses were some of the first places to let Special Olympics host games and training. Today, the role of colleges and universities has grown to College Clubs and Unified Sports offered on campuses, that connect college students and individuals with intellectual disabilities through sports to build friendships.
Let’s start a Special Olympics College Club at your campus! It’s simple . . . find an advisor and complete registration steps below:
- Interested in starting something at your college? Fill out this Interest Form to talk to our staff and get more information, or email Rachel Carron!
- Ready to join? Fill out the College Club Application
Criteria for Success
Unified Sports
- Unified Sports joins college students without intellectual disabilities (Unified partners) and college students or community members with intellectual disabilities (Special Olympics athletes) on the same team – playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.
- At the college level, Unified Sports functions as:
- Unified Sports Intramurals
- Unified College Club
- Unified Health & Fitness
- Young Athletes Program
- For more information about starting a Special Olympics College Club on your campus, please check out the Special Olympics College Club Starter’s Guide.
Inclusive Leadership
- Inclusive leadership occurs when people of all abilities are given opportunities to be leaders -on their campus. These leadership activities help individuals, both with and without intellectual disabilities, to find their voices and become change agents in their communities by promoting equity and acceptance.
- At the college level, Inclusive Leadership functions as:
- Special Olympics College Clubs
- Student-Athlete Leadership Council (NCAA & NAIA Institutions)
- For more information about starting a Special Olympics College Club on your campus, please check out the Special Olympics College Club Starter’s Guide.
Whole School Engagement
- Awareness events bring the whole college community together, bringing attention to the need for meaningful inclusion. These events impact numerous stakeholders in a campus community and are great entry points to introduce more students to the Special Olympics movement.
- At the college level, Whole Campus Engagement functions as:
- Attending Local Special Olympics Events as Volunteers or Fans in the Stands
- Organizing “Spread the Word Inclusion” and Respect Campaigns
- Fundraisers Like Polar Plunges or On-Campus Events
- For more information about starting a Special Olympics College Club on your campus, please check out the Special Olympics College Club Starter’s Guide.
For more information on key Special Olympics College Club partnerships click on the logos below:
