R-Word Initiatives for High School Leaders
Calling all high school youth leaders! How would you like to make your campus a more inclusive place? Through the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, you’re one step closer to accomplishing this goal.
The R-word campaign was designed to raise awareness of the derogatory use of the word “retard” or “retarded,” and the negative impacts on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, friends, and families. This campaign is more than just raising awareness, it’s about changing attitudes to be more inclusive and educating others on how words can hurt.
This blog offers ways for you to encourage and educate students at your school about the R-word campaign. For more detailed resources, visit www.r-word.org.
Register your R-Word event online here. By registering the event online, others in the area can find the closest area for them to pledge.
Tweet your own pledge and challenge another person to do the same! Use #endtheword to increase the following of the movement. You can follow @EndtheWord for examples and ideas of what to tweet.
Have members in your school or club publish photos online. Photos can include: creating R-Word materials, setting up for the campaign, students taking the pledge, etc. You could have the chance to be spotlighted on social media! Use #endtheword to join the movement and share what your school is doing to end the word.
Serve as a contributor to the “Our Words” blog about why individuals like you took the pledge. Showcase a Unified pair in your organization, discuss what you do for the R-word campaign, and what you’ve learned from introducing inclusion to your campus.
To upload your story:
- Create a Medium account (it takes less than 2 minutes) and upload your story. Be sure to add pictures to complement the story as well!
- When you are ready to share your story, click the “…” in the upper-right corner of the page. In this menu, select “add to publication” and select The Playbook. Also be sure to send an email to DBellows@specialolympics.org to make sure your story lands on Our Words
- Check back to Our Words to make sure that your story has been added. If it hasn’t, send a note to DBellows@specialolympics.org
Write a letter to the editor in your school or local newspaper. Incorporate reasons why others should pledge and the hurtful effects of the R-word. Invite newspaper writers to visit a Unified event for more information on Special Olympics/Best Buddies initiatives.
Record a video showcasing what it means to be Unified at your campus in partnership with the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign. The possibilities are endless with information and material you can include! Showcase the talents and abilities of all students at your school through a short video and provide information on how students can take the pledge.
Host a Respect Rally to ignite students on your campus with the Unified spirit! Respect Rallies can work in partnership with other student organization and discuss the impact of the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign.
These are just a few ideas on how you can lead the Unified movement on your high school campus, but the opportunities are endless. As a youth leader, you as igniting a world-wide inclusion revolution. This campaign could not be done without YOU. Best of luck with your R-word campaign!
If you have a story, video, photo, poem, essay, guide, dance, (or anything else) to share with the world, follow the three easy steps in this link or publish your story on Medium and email it to spalumbo@specialolympics.org. If you prefer, you could also put your story into a word document, let us know whether you would like it published under your name or anonymously, and email it to spalumbo@specialolympics.org.
Pledge your support to end the R-Word here.
