Special Olympics International Hosts a Global Youth Leadership Summit with vFairs

This will be the first Global Youth Leadership Summit in three years, and will empower young people with and without intellectual disabilities around the world to become proactive in breaking down barriers to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their schools and local communities.

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Special Olympics International announced it is hosting a Global Youth Leadership Summit on 20 and 21 May 2022. The event will bring together young people aged 14 - 25 and other youth-focused organizations. This is the first global convening of Special Olympics Youth Leaders since the last in person Global Youth Leadership Summit in 2019 in Abu Dhabi. More than 150 youth and adult leaders with and without intellectual disabilities from over 35 countries came together in Abu Dhabi during World Games to share and develop their ideas for a more inclusive world. This Virtual Summit is expected to bring together over 1,000 people globally, including those new to Special Olympics. If you wish to register for this Summit, please visit the event page to register.

The two-day virtual Global Youth Leadership Summit theme is "Called to Connect." During the Summit, young people with and without intellectual disabilities from around the globe will be united in a time of social isolation and highlight the important role they play in creating opportunities for inclusion. This event also serves as a platform to reconnect a global community of Youth Leaders before the next in-person summit "Called to Activate" which will occur next summer in Berlin, Germany alongside the 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games.

Throughout the Virtual Global Youth Leadership Summit, Youth Leaders will receive training and tools to lead activities for social impact and inclusion in their schools and communities, while their adult counterparts will learn from their global peers on how best to engage with young people.

"Young people have been so isolated and disconnected the past two years. This Summit is an opportunity to unite and energize our global community of Youth Leaders around a shared goal for a more inclusive world. Sessions will 'educate, enable, and engage' these young people to be change makers through providing education, skill building, and clear actions they can take to better their own communities," says Kaitlyn Hamrick, Director of Youth Development at Special Olympics International.

The goal is, that from the experience they receive from such an event, the participating youth will proceed to train other young people to be innovators, leaders, and social change makers for inclusion. The legacy of the Summit will be felt worldwide, as participants deploy their learnings to implement practices for inclusion in their home countries. Young people, along with the support of their adult allies, are igniting the engine of change in all parts of the world.

"vFairs is thrilled to be assisting the Special Olympics with enhancing their noble cause. We are so excited to create an event of this kind," says Muhammad Younas, CEO vFairs.

To register or learn more, please visit the event page.

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries.

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With more than six million athletes and Unified Sports partners in over 190 countries and territories and more than one million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and over 100,000 games and competitions every year. Engage with us on: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and our blog on Medium. Learn more at http://www.SpecialOlympics.org.

About vFairs
vFairs is a virtual events platform that creates immersive 3D environments for their clients. These events enable greater global reach, as they are accessible on any mobile or tabular device. The platform provides customizable virtual experiences, packed with features such as gamifications, Q&A's, polls, poster halls, exhibit booths, virtual auditoriums and more.

Media Contact

Brianne Snell, vFairs, 519-215-3854, [email protected]

Clare Cronin, Special Onlympics, 519-215-3854, [email protected]

SOURCE vFairs