School systems throughout North Carolina partner with Special Olympics to promote the physical fitness, socialization, and community involvement goals included in a student’s Individual Education Plan.  Special Olympics North Carolina has already developed training materials and competition rules (with appropriate modifications) so educators can easily add Special Olympics into their curriculum.

Across the state nearly half of all local program coordinators are employed in the school systems as teachers, assistant teachers and exceptional children’s directors. Educational professionals can encourage their students to participate in Special Olympics and recruit new athletes to become involved. 

Schools and education professionals can:

• provide access to practice facilities
• recruit Special Olympics coaches for individual and team sports
• serve on a Special Olympics local committee
• lend their sports expertise through the PE and adaptive PE instructors
• encourage increased community opportunities for local Special Olympics teams to compete in intra-county games and scrimmages with other teams
• provide volunteers for local and area competitions
• lead Unified Sports® teams
• host local and area-wide Special Olympics competitions

Special Olympics Get Into It (SO Get Into It™) is a free service-learning curriculum provided through Special Olympics North Carolina that celebrates the diverse gifts of every student whatever his or her ability.

The program was designed as a relatively simple way to achieve several closely related student learning goals:

• To understand, accept and celebrate individual differences;
• To learn about and become involved in Special Olympics; and
• To become involved in a service-learning project or activity related to Special Olympics, including participation in Special Olympics sports and events.

SO Get Into It offers teachers tailored curriculums for all grade levels:  K-2, elementary school (grades 3-5), middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12).

For more information contact your Special Olympics local program or SONC Field Services Director, A’lisa Tello at atello@sonc.net.