Special Olympics Schools program growing

As school’s first quarter draws to a close, grades will soon be posted, and parent teacher conferences loom. Cross country running is done, state football ended this past weekend, and swimming and volleyball head into regions, followed by state.

The end of this portion of the year marks the beginning of another, and as fall passes into winter, another season of academics and school programs commences. Among the new activities begins a lesser-known activity, but one no less enthusiastically received by the students and staff involved — the Special Olympics Schools Program.

The Schools Program, along with Partners Clubs, provides opportunities for students with and without disabilities to play together. Through sports and social gatherings, students expand their social horizons. The program schedule stretches from mid-October to the end of the school year in late May. The agenda of events is jam-packed, with events such as bowling, alpine skiing and even track meets.

Special Olympics Alaska started the Schools Program in 1998 at Wendler Middle School in Anchorage. Since then it has expanded exponentially. After Alaska hosted the Special Olympics World Winter Games in 2001, Special Olympics Alaska partnered with the Department of Education, and the Schools Program grew even more. With the onset of the 2011-12 season, 53 Alaska schools in 10 districts are involved.

The Mat-Su Borough School District is engaged in Special Olympics Alaska Schools Programs on multiple levels. Partners Clubs operate at each of our four main high schools, with an average of 90 students participating. Wasilla and Teeland Middle Schools al so take part, adding 60 more students to our district totals. Valley schools also contribute to the six pre-school and 13 elementary schools that participate statewide.

Although the Schools Program is already quite expansive throughout the state, its development is far from complete.

“I would definitely still like to see some growth for the program. The goal of the Schools Program is to be in every one of the over 50 districts in the state,” said Schools Program Director Sarah Arts.

Organizers say the main objective is to raise awareness and increase social interaction between students with and without disabilities.

Larry Ouellette, a long-time special education teacher and once coordinator of the Partners Club and Schools Program at Palmer High School, has been involved with Special Olympics since he was 19.

He also started a Partners Club at Wasilla Middle School, which eventually extended to the high school.

“[The participating students without disabilities] are our future neighbors, leaders and co-workers. Once you get them started with organizations like this they are going to stick with it,” Ouellette said. “They will be our community, so we need to get to know them better now, and put them in these programs where they’re providing support to those in need.”

Ouellette also knows firsthand how valuable this type of relationship is.

“They love it when they have those relationships,” he said. “They really enjoy expanding their social networks and having that experience of making friends.”

At North Bowl, a place usually dead in the daytime, it was packed with more than 320 elementary school students on Tuesday and Wednesday. Bumpers were flying up and down, cheers filled the air and high fives were abundant. And except for the occasional wheelchair or a special ball ramp, it was impossible to tell who was helping whom.

Although the Special Olympics Schools Program may be an activity that is less publicized and less frequently attended by the public, it’s arguably one of the most special events happening right now in the district.

Athletes here aren’t vying for sports scholarships to college. Athletes here focus more on building new friendships and breaking down barriers.

For more information, visit specialolympicsalaska.org, or call (907) 222-7625.

Kaden Weaver is a senior at Palmer High School.