The 1st Special Olympics Pakistan’s National Youth Leadership Summit united Youth Leaders with and without intellectual disabilities across Pakistan for inclusion and change. Youth Leaders received training and tools to lead activities for social impact and inclusion in their schools and communities, while adult mentors learned from their and peers on how best to engage with young people.
National Youth Leadership Summit (NYLS) held in Karachi from 3rd to 6th of Feb, 2022 to equip the students from the Unified Champion Schools with tools and training to lead inclusive activities at their campus around sports and community engagement that could include people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in meaningful way.
The Summit covered range of activities and sessions including Awareness of Intellectual Disabilities, and Role of Youth in building the Unified Champion Schools’ movement, Co-leadership and soft skills training, team building activities, Unified Sports planning and execution, and outdoor recreational experiences.
The Summit experience not only helped sensitized the school youth with intellectual disabilities but also inspired them to represent the Special Olympics movement at their school and in their community. They returned with enhanced leadership skills, with extensive concepts of inclusion, the ability to trust Athletes during activities and a better understanding of ways to engage Athletes in co-leadership roles.
Over 50 Youth Leaders (with and without intellectual disabilities) and mentors representing 11 mainstream and special needs schools from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Mirpur were actively engaged in the Summit.