Program areas at SOMI
Special Olympics Michigan provides year-round programs for over 16,609 children and adults with intellectual disabilities and Unified Partners athletes without intellectual disabilities. Through sport, athletes experience inclusion, unity, dignity, respect, joy and friendship. They develop physically and socially gain confidence and build a positive self-image which carries over into the home, classroom, job and community. Young Athletes programs for 2 to 7 year-olds are offered to introduce children and their families to the world of sports. There are 381 children participating in Young Athlete programs throughout the state. The SOMI program relies on contributions of time, materials and funds from donors and volunteers.
Unified Champion Schools bring together students with and without intellectual disabilities through education, sports and youth leadership to provide them with the knowledge, attitudes and skill necessary to create and sustain school communities that promote acceptance, respect and human dignity. There are currently 452 SOMI Unified Champion Schools in the state of Michigan. The 2022-23 school year was the most successful year to date. Schools were able fully implement the program without covid restrictions. We saw great growth in high school Unified Interscholastic Sports and were able to expand our programming offered across the state, including a first ever Leadership Launch in the Upper Peninsula. More than 9,000 students participated in Unified Sports.
Healthy Athletes programs provide free health screenings to athletes. Over 1921 athletes participated in health screenings for vision, dental, physicals, feet, hearing, pediatric evaluations and health promotions. Healthy Athletes screenings are held at state and local events for vision, hearing, dental, foot care, physical therapy, pediatric evaluations, nutrition, wellness and health physicals at no cost to athletes or their families. These screenings educate athletes on healthy lifestyle choices and identify problems that may need additional follow-up. Additionally, 5 inclusive health trainings were held to educate current and future healthcare workers about creating an inclusive healthcare environment. Finally, over 222 athletes participated in our SOMIfit program providing 8 weeks of fitness activities mixed with educational material on health and wellness in person and 74 virtual participants.