Special Olympics Colorado

Special Olympics Colorado (soco) is a chapter of Special Olympics, a global organization that uses the simple platform of sports to empower individuals with intellectual disabilities (id). Since 1969, soco has been strengthening families, athletes and our community through sport and healthy living opportunities and now serves more than 20,000 athletes across the state. Not included in program expenses are $3,288,125 in donated services and facilities. These donated services include day passes to ski resorts used in connection with soco's winter sports programs, as well as services donated by coaches and referees.

Soco's young athletes program is an innovative sports play program for children ages 2-7 with intellectual disabilities as well as their typically developing peers, designed to promote inclusion while introducing them to the world of sport, with the goal of preparing them for future participation in Special Olympics sports training and competition.

Soco's unified champion school strategy is a school-based program that changes school climates to be accepting and inclusive of all students and all differences through unified sports, youth leadership and engaging all students.

Soco's other programs include inclusive health, which focuses on improving the physical and social-emotional well-being of people with intellectual disabilities by broadening access and quality of care in health systems; the athlete leadership program, including alps university, which empowers soco's athletes to creative meaningful societal change; and our volunteer training and management program.