It’s that time of year again: the exciting (and sometimes nerve-racking) time when kids and parents alike scramble to get ready for the start of the school year.
SOWI’s Youth Activation Committee (YAC) is also using this time to prepare to go back to school, as they held their first planning meeting last week to start sketching out what the 2018-2019 school year will look like for the group. The YAC is a group of dedicated students from around the state who volunteer their time to help SOWI and schools across Wisconsin promote inclusion and Unified Champion Schools (UCS).
Columbus High School special education teacher and UCS liaison Jahlieh Gardipee serves as the coordinator for SOWI’s YAC. After taking part in the orientation meeting for this year’s committee, she’s excited about what the students have in store for inclusion in Wisconsin schools this year. “The Youth Activation Committee of 2018-2019 is ready and excited for another great year of inclusion,” Gardipee said.
“The YAC, consisting of students grades 10-12 in high schools in Columbus, Mukwonago, and Wausau, has chosen the theme ‘Respect is my Universe; there’s space for everyone!'” – YAC coordinator Jahlieh Gardipee
At the kick-off meeting, the group participated in team building exercises, identified leadership strengths, began planning for the annual Leadership Summit for UCS schools to be held in November, and even chose a statewide theme for the year, according to Gardipee. “The YAC, consisting of students grades 10-12 in high schools in Columbus, Mukwonago, and Wausau, has chosen the theme ‘Respect is my Universe; there’s space for everyone!'” Gardipee said.
This year’s group includes a good mix of veteran YAC students and newcomers. The veterans have already had an incredible 2018 and they’re eager to use their recent experiences to inspire other youth across the state. Several of the students hail from Columbus’ all-star UCS program. Earlier this year they got super competitive and creative in their Polar Plunge fundraising to the tune of more than $17,000 for SOWI athletes!
Several of the Columbus students also got to team up with SOWI athlete Daina Shilts for an unforgettable afternoon of filming for a Special Olympics International video to promote Unified Champion Schools that will be released early in the school year.
“Stay tuned on this ambitious group’s mission to choose to include and have a blast while doing it.” – Gardipee
Cody Peters of Mukwonago High School recently helped Team Wisconsin’s Unified soccer squad bring home a gold from the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle. That unforgettable and unique experience will undoubtedly be an asset for the YAC in the coming school year. With experience like this on the team, it’s no wonder they have such big goals for the year.
“Their goals are out of this world! The group would like to double the amount of UCS schools in Wisconsin, launch better advertising of the YAC to include members from a wider variety of areas in the state, and secure at least three schools to host a Unified event at one of their WIAA sporting events,” Gardipee said. “Stay tuned on this ambitious group’s mission to choose to include and have a blast while doing it.”
Here at Special Olympics Wisconsin, we can’t wait to see what this year’s YAC has in store for the Wisconsin Inclusion Revolution!