To wrap-up the last week of the quarter, ACP’s Best Buddies International club is hosting an Inclusion Week for our students. The club, led by Emilia Krajewski, is focused on helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) feel more included in society through connecting them with their own personal buddies. By establishing these one-to-one friendships, people in the IDD community can develop meaningful relationships, gain independence, and find employment. Let’s take a look at some of the events that took place earlier on in Inclusion Week:

On Monday, Best Buddies hosted an optional assembly in the gym in which students had the opportunity to hear from guest speaker Lindsey Eaton. She is a member of Best Buddies and spoke to the students about the importance of including others. Through hearing about the positive impact that Best Buddies made in the life of the speaker, students gained a better understanding of how small acts of kindness make a big difference in the lives of others.

On Tuesday, students watched an impactful short film during Success called The Interviewer. The film, directed by Genevieve Clay-Smith, is centered around a man named Thomas Howell who has a prestigious job interview at a law firm. When he arrives, he is surprised to find that his interviewer is James Dexter, a partner’s son who has Down syndrome. The film encourages people to be more open to those with disabilities, rather than making quick assumptions about others.

Now, let’s look forward to what’s coming up for the rest of the week:

On Wednesday, the club has organized a field trip to the Best Buddies Carnival at Higley High School. Attendees can connect with their buddies and enjoy some quality time with their friends at the carnival.

Thursday is Best Buddies Inclusion Night at the Varsity Boy’s Volleyball game. If you have the chance, consider stopping by the game, beginning at 5:30 P.M., to support the volleyball team. The game will be a blue-out, in honor of the Best Buddies program. Also, if you would like to make a donation, the ticket booth will be accepting donations to Best Buddies.

This Friday, there will be a #PledgeToInclude signing activity in the courtyard during Success. After learning about the importance of inclusion all week long, students have the chance to commit to being more inclusive in their daily lives.

Later on in the month, on Saturday, March 28th, Best Buddies International is holding a friendship walk at Kiwanis Park in Tempe, Arizona. Participants are encouraged to celebrate each others’ abilities and support each other throughout the walk. If you are interested in signing up for the walk, here’s a link to the sign-up page: https://www.bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org/tempe/register/.

Thank you, Best Buddies club, for working toward inclusion for all members of the community! Inclusion Week is a wonderful way of helping people become more accepting and understanding of others.