Best Buddies Program

By Gabrielle Young and Grace Howell

Inclusive Education News

Coaching to Inclusion Best Practices Grant

CCH Best Buddies Program

Sabrina Karim, a senior student at Catholic Central High School, was honored recently as one of the YMCA's Women of Excellence. Sabrina was recognized for her efforts in founding a "Best Buddies" group - a school program which pairs individuals with special needs with student peers. Sabrina was honored for her commitment and dedication to helping others reach their potential.

Sabrina with some of her
"Best Buddies" at CCH

Through the Best Buddies program (www.bestbuddies.ca), students meet once or twice a week to do an activity of their choice, and participate in a monthly chapter activity. Sabrina decided to introduce the Best Buddies program as a means to further include students from the Community Living classroom into school activities. Students volunteer to be a peer buddy, in order to participate in activities such as poster design and production for school events. According to Sabrina, it is a win-win scenario as "the volunteers take away much more than they expect".

While the program is still in its first year at the school, it appears to be successful already. On the day we visited, the Community Living space was brightly lit and alive with a mix of students greeting one another, playing a few hands of cards during the lunch break, or working on projects at one of the several computer workstations along the wall. As we spoke with Jane Harrison, resource teacher, she remarked that the Best Buddies activities provide all those participating with an opportunity to show the abilities that they possess. The literature demonstrates that promoting children's active engagement in school through involvement in games, sports, and social events, leads to a greater likelihood of positive life outcomes (Simeonsson et al, 2001).

According to Shaun Elliott, chief executive of London's YMCA, Sabrina is one of the many individuals who have helped strengthen lives, making the city of London stronger and more vibrant.

Reference

Simeonsson, R.T., Carlson, D., Huntington, G.S., Strutz McMillen, J., & Brent, J.L. (2001). Students with disabilities: A national survey of participation in school activities. Disability and Rehabilitation, 23(2), 49-63.