College & University Partnerships

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 Special Olympics clubs offered on campuses, where students help run events, along with year-round training and fundraising. Here in Massachusetts, Summer Games is hosted at Harvard and Boston University, Winter Games at various colleges throughout the Worcester area and many regional competitions held at colleges throughout the state. Many colleges have clubs such as Holy Cross, Boston College and Bridgewater State, to name a few.

In 2010, the NCAA Division III partnership was announced, naming Special Olympics as the nonprofit of choice for Division III student athletes. Working with athletic directors from each school, Special Olympics pairs local programs with student athletes for training, competition and fundraising. The partnership mirrors the success of our other education programs, bringing together individuals with and without intellectual disabilities on the same playing field, helping to break down barriers and having them become teammates on and off the field.