First Lady Michele Obama has made a name for herself as a progressive activist who strives to make a difference in the United States. She has tackled a vast array of issues, including childhood obesity and education, but recently she has taken on another huge concern of this generation. In July, she and President Obama hosted a dinner at the White House to celebrate the Special Olympics, thus spawning a Special Olympics youth campaign that ultimately aims to foster understanding, acceptance, and friendship.

Olympic Heights is proud to announce its involvement in the valued campaign starting this November. Beginning in January 2016, there will be two new clubs dedicated to the cause: the Special Olympics Athletes Club (OHSO-A) and the Special Olympics Volunteer Club (OHSO-V). Anyone interested can attend the informational meeting that will be held on November 18, at 3:00pm in the Media Center.

The OHSO-A Club will be dedicated to training students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in Olympics-style sports. The two sports that will be offered this school year are volleyball and track & field. During the 2016-2017 school year, the club is likely to be expanded to include bowling and basketball as well.

The primary goals of the club are to help students find joy and success, but more importantly, acceptance. The club will strive to help students become more confident in themselves and better prepared for new challenges, all while furthering the students’ social horizons.

The second club that will be offered is the OHSO-V Club, also known as the Lion’s Club. This club is committed to creating an atmosphere of acceptance and respect on a campus as diverse as ours is. As evident in the name, anyone on campus, with or without a disability, is free to volunteer for the program. Volunteers and athletes will be teamed together for competition, creating an air of discovery and opportunity among all students.

According to OH’s ESE Coordinator Ms. Margie Cowan, getting to know and better understand a student with disabilities “can enrich the lives of all students and teach them valuable lessons about acceptance, inclusion, and respect.” These ideals are precisely the lessons that a school aims to provide its students with.

Evidently, problems surrounding inactivity, intolerance, and injustice prove to be profound issues in a time of so much awareness and advancement. The Special Olympics youth campaign, also termed the #PlayUnited movement, attempts to combat these issues and create a more loving and accepting community. Therefore, it is important that Olympic Heights does everything in its powers to fight against this injustice and try its hardest to provide everyone with the acceptance that they deserve.