YAC Summits: Inspiring the Next Generation of Inclusive Leaders

Right now, there’s a movement happening. You’ll see it among students in every corner of the state, from Long Island to Buffalo. It’s a movement that inspires a brighter future. And it all starts with inclusion.

That movement, of course, is Unified Sports. But inclusion can’t just happen on the field of play—it has to continue everywhere. That’s where our Youth Activation Committee (YAC) Summits come in.

But First, What Are Youth Activation Committees?

In YACs, youth leaders with and without intellectual disabilities form committees to plan activation events and strategies for inclusion at their schools. This often involves recruiting fellow students to attend upcoming games, awareness and fundraising events, and team building activities. YACs are also invited to attend our summits.

These annual student-led conferences bring together youth leaders from schools around the state to empower their peers and share their successes in building inclusive communities within their schools and districts. We’ve had the pleasure of hosting several such events in the past few weeks, with more coming soon.

Summits All Over the State

Our summit season began in the Capital District, where 17 schools, 180 students, and 37 advisors united in Albany to discuss club recruitment and sustainability, wholes school engagement, district-wide campaigns, and more.

“I think that the value of the summit is to gain more knowledge and understanding about what works for other schools and to get feedback and show what our school has to offer!” said Sadie Brody of Amsterdam High School.

“The best thing about the summit is the friendships and smiles that you have the ability to put on someone’s face,” added Katy Howard of Hoosick Falls High School.

In addition to these activities and a Special Olympics NY social media takeover by Shaker High School students, the summit was capped off by a presentation and leadership activity run by the Capital Region YAC. It was an amazing experience!

In New York City, a different kind of summit transpired. A group of 159 students from nine schools arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for an immersive tour led by Met educators. These discussions and activities were centered around cultural art and leadership through artistic expression. Following the summit, whole school engagement campaigns were hosted in the weeks to follow.

“This is the first event of its kind at the Met,” said Vance Toure, Director of Program for Unified Sports UCS & Community Engagement at Special Olympics NY. “While this is a departure from our typical sports engagement, it is in alignment with our inclusive youth leadership and supports student holistic development.”

And that’s not all. This upcoming month, Long Island is hosting not one, not two, but three YAC summits throughout their community. Sayville Old Junior High and Southampton High School, both named National Banner Schools, are hosting the first two events, while Jericho High School will host the third—their first time doing so. With almost 500 total student expected to attend, these promise to be three more inspiring events.

How Can You Help Support?

Many students from these schools and others throughout New York are taking the Polar Plunge to help raise funds for programs like YAC Summits and so much more. We’ve got events happening all over the state, so sign up for a Polar Plunge near you!

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