Special Olympics Nevada Inc

Unified Champion Schools - This program focuses on creating inclusive school campuses for people with ID. The program targets students without disabilities i.e., student leaders to be the drivers of the program. Student leaders encourage their friends without disabilities to include students with disabilities in activities that they lead on their campus. The Champion Schools program includes lessons and opportunities for students to create events that engage the entire school and sports training and leadership development. During 2024, SONV was able to engage 75 schools in the Champion Schools Program. The program also engaged 28,941 students within the State of Nevada.

Mindset Matters - This program utilizes some aspects of the Strong Minds program, in addition to new elements from the 8-Dimensions of Wellness Model, the Together Counts Program, and evidence-based activities to teach Nevada students adaptive coping skills and strategies to maintain emotional wellness. The Mindset Matters program includes topics such as: emotion identification and regulation, relaxation breathing, cognitive restructuring, muscle relaxation, mindfulness and interpersonal relationships, and social wellness and social skills. During 2024, SONV was able to engage over 4,500 students and 200 volunteers in this program.

Athlete Leadership - This program allows people with disabilities the opportunity to receive training in speech writing and coaching so that they feel comfortable speaking in public. Program participants that receive this training have the opportunity to advocate; meeting annually with Nevada delegates at the national and state level; to speak first-hand on the impact that SONVs programs is having in their lives. Other program participants make presentations to corporate boards or business organizations to support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Athlete leaders also engage in SONV fundraising activities and interviews to broaden awareness of the organizations work. During 2024, SONV engaged 65 athletes in this program.

Healthy Athletes - Through this program, Nevada has the opportunity to position the state as a region where people with ID are provided full inclusion in mainstream health policies, laws, programs and services, research and funding streams. At our national level, Special Olympics has partnered with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to create curriculum so that local programs can train physicians, medical technicians and higher education students studying these disciplines in their state to become volunteers and provide health screenings and education to people with ID and underserved communities. On average, people with ID live 16 years less than the general population, so these health screenings allow us to mitigate health risks. SONV offers health screenings in the following areas: vision, hearing, BMI, podiatry, dental, mental health/stress management, endurance and flexibility testing. During 2024, SONV provided screenings to 200 athletes and trained 17 Clinical Directors in this program.