• Middle School/Grades 6-8
• High School/Grades 9-12
• Young Adult

Special Olympics Youth Leadership programming brings together young people of all abilities to lead their schools and communities towards a better future. Central to this mission is the Unified Virtual Exchange, an innovative program that brings together young leaders from different backgrounds across the globe virtually. Through this exchange, participants engage in global dialogue, fostering deep understanding and appreciation for different people and places. This program leverages technology to create meaningful connections and mutual understanding. By uniting young leaders in a virtual space, Unified Virtual Exchange cultivates a global network of leaders committed to change. Together, these individuals lead towards a better future, one virtual exchange at a time.

Activities

Youth leaders of all abilities, alongside their adult mentors, come together to develop learning modules for youth leaders to build interpersonal skills and global perspectives through virtual exchanges. Participants in the program engage in virtual exchanges with their peers across the globe leading up to and following the 2025 Global Youth Leadership Summit at the Special Olympics World Games in Turin.

Program Details