For Immediate Release
January 13, 2009  

Two Montana Students Attend Global Youth Summit at 2009 World Winter Games

130 Youth Leaders to Meet in Boise, Idaho, from 7-13 February 2009 to Promote Acceptance and Understanding of People with Intellectual Disabilities Around the World

(Great Falls, Montana) Jake Broden and Tanealya Hueth from CM Russell High School in Great Falls, Montana, have been selected from among hundreds of applicants from around the world to participate in the fifth Global Youth Activation Summit on intellectual disabilities that will be held in conjunction with the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games from 7-13 February 2009. The summit will launch a new Special Olympics youth engagement initiative which positions young people as leaders for fostering inclusion in their schools and communities.

During the summit, Jake and Tanealya and the other participants will attend youth-led leadership training programs, participate in interactive sports experiences and help host four live Webinars to connect with their peers internationally. They will also serve as a journalist, writing blogs, developing podcasts and composing stories for publication and to be shared with home and school news outlets, posted to the Special Olympics Web site, posted to the 2009 World Winter Games Web site and shared through other social networking sites.

The youth leaders participating in the summit, aged 12 to 20, come from 22 nations, representing all seven Special Olympics regions and various educational levels including middle school, high school and some college. They will be paired– one Special Olympics athlete and a peer partner without an intellectual disability from the same community, state or country.

"Bringing together these students for the 2009 Global Youth Activation Summit is an important step as we work to eliminate stereotypes and change views about the capabilities and gifts of people with intellectual disabilities," said Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver. "Special Olympics provides one of the greatest platforms in the world for acceptance and inclusion. It is our desire that this summit help Special Olympics become a leading cause among young people, and develop the next generation of world leaders."

Jake and Tanealya were chosen to participate based upon their involvement in the community and Special Olympics. Jake has been a Unified Parnter since he was four years old participating in golf, bocce, track and field, snow shoeing, basketball and soccer. Tanealya has been an athlete for four years, competing in soccer, track and field, bowling, basketball and cross country skiing.

In addition to the activities during the week-long summit, Jake and Tanealya will be part of a Global Youth Rally at the Taco Bell Arena on the campus of Boise State University on Monday, 9 February. The rally will bring together thousands of young people with and without intellectual disabilities from the Boise, Idaho, area and around the world. It will be an exciting multi-media event designed to help youth develop awareness and discuss current issues, as well as serve as a call to action for youth to promote inclusion and acceptance for all.

The 2009 Global Youth Activation Summit is the fifth such event to take place. The inaugural global summit took place in 2001 at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Alaska. Since then, there have been 37 youth summits at the global, national and regional levels, involving representatives from 150 Special Olympics Programs and more than 1,500 young leaders.

The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games will bring together nearly 2,500 athletes from more than 100 countries in Boise, Idaho, to compete in seven Olympic-type sports. It will be the largest multi-sport event in North America in 2009.

The Global Youth Activation Summit is one of several Special Olympics global initiatives helping promote school communities where all young people are agents of change. The summit was made possible through a $4.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education and a generous donation from Special Olympics Global Sponsor Mattel Children’s Foundation. Other initiatives include Project Unify, a year-long U.S. national project to energize young people across the nation to foster respect, dignity and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics believes that through sports youth can make a difference in friendships, schools and communities.

For more information on the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games, including the Global Youth Summit, Project Unify and other youth programs, visit www.specialolympics.org/getintoit.

See the Global Youth Summit factsheet

Reception for Team USA Families

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion between people with and without intellectual disabilities. Through year-round sports training and athletic competition and other related programs for 2.8 million children and adults with intellectual disabilities in more than 180 countries, Special Olympics has created a model community that celebrates people’s diverse gifts. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship.

Contact: Marion Smith
Special Olympics Montana
PO Box 3507
Great Falls, MT  59403
406-868-1953