.jpg)
Get your school involved and help change attitudes.
Every student has the power to make a difference
Special Olympics Get Into It (SO Get Into It) is a free curriculum that celebrates gifts - the diverse gifts of every student whatever his or her ability. Through the world of Special Olympics, every student can come to recognize that he or she has the power to make a difference.
Through SO Get Into It, students learn about the Special Olympics experience and all its positive messages. They will come to understand the athletes' ability to contribute to society through leadership roles both on and off the playing field. They will come to appreciate the critical role of “service-learning” - a teaching method by which service to the community becomes as an opportunity for reflection, learning and personal growth. Most important, they will be invited to make a difference themselves.
Yvonne Farragher, a teacher in Hollypark Girls National School in Dublin, Ireland is a fan of the SO Get Into It porgramme. “My students just loved participating in the discussions and games, both in the classroom and the playground. The active learning approach of SO Get Into It really taught them how to work as a team and to show respect for people with differing abilities in a fun and inclusive way. Because the programme was created by teachers for teachers, it is a joy to implement and really engages all the children”.
SO Get Into It is about the world of winners called Special Olympics, but it is much more: it is a portal through which young people can discover the pathway to building a more welcoming society for all.
SO Get Into It offers teachers curriculums for all grade levels. In Europe curriculums are offered for:
• Elementary School (grades 3-5)
• Middle School (6-8)
• High/Secondary School (9-12).
Click here to download the SO Get Into It resource kit which include lessons and activity plans, videos, fact sheets, Special Olympics athlete profiles and much more.
Read about how the SO Get Into It programme helped strengthen the friendship between Romanian school girls Cristina Ricin, 10 and Gabriela Maei, 8. (link to Get your friends or school involved)
For further information on the SO Get Into programme in Europe / Eurasia contact Sabine Brecklinghaus, Senior Manager Youth Education ad Unified Sports, Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia, at SBrecklinghaus@specialolympics.org.