Inclusion is cool.
Inclusion is cool.
Inclusion is cool.
That’s the message on the t-shirt of Samantha Tracy, a Best Buddies teacher sponsor and sixth-grade special education teacher at Julian Middle School.
Walking into the Best Buddies meeting and seeing dozens of students, both with and without disabilities, sitting together, laughing, talking, and playing games, there is no doubt. Inclusion is cool.
“Best Buddies is awesome. You get to hang out, play games, make puzzles, eat snacks,” Julian seventh-grader Max said. “That’s my friend Oscar. Oscar is ‘god’ at puzzles.”
Max said he joined Best Buddies because his dad used to be “something important” at Best Buddies at Glenbard West High School. He also didn’t have anything else to do on Wednesdays. But now he’s hooked.
“The only thing I don’t like about Best Buddies is that it’s every other week, and not every week,” Max said.
A middle school club serving students at Julian and Brooks middle schools, Best Buddies provides opportunities for one-to-one friendships between middle school students with and without disabilities, in which they share interests, experiences, and activities.
“I like the community,” said Julian sixth-grader Benji. “A lot of my friends are in it, and I like to hang out here. I like all the people here. They are really kind.”
Tracy and fellow sixth-grade special education teacher Bethany Ezawa are stepping up as first-time club sponsors at Julian this year, with support from Meribeth Duhem and Melissa Cecil, two multi-needs teaching assistants and long-time supporters of the club.
This year, they’ll sponsor school-wide events such as a silent disco, talent show and spring picnic, as well as a holiday food drive and friendship walk as service projects. Later in the year, meetings will focus on education and advocacy training, as students prepare for Best Buddies Month, the “end the R-word” campaign, and other spring inclusion events.
Brooks Middle School’s Best Buddies club plans to host the Momenta Dance Group, a local repertory and contemporary dance company that educates, innovates and amplifies the artistry of students and professionals, inclusive of artists with disabilities.
Special education teachers Brooke Sefcik and Luke Scanlon and language and literature teacher Pam Gaffney start each meeting at Brooks with a get-to-know-you activity that helps build upon forming friendships, and then they usually make a craft or play a game. The club ends with the Best Buddies song and dance:
“Best, Best Buddies, Best, Best, Best Buddies, B-U-D-D-D-I-E-S, B-U-D-D-I-E-S (hand movements, hip movements as they say the letters). Best, Best Buddies, Best, Best, Best Buddies, WOOOO!”
“Brooks' mission for Best Buddies is to create a community where all individuals, regardless of their abilities, can experience meaningful friendships,” Sefcik said. “Together we can break down barriers and stereotypes, in hopes to create an environment that celebrates diversity and embraces the uniqueness of each person.”
Best Buddies is open to any current middle schooler and is accepting more participants. Brooks student Penelope joined “because my friends did it last year and said it was a good community of people. I also wanted the experience of helping kids with disabilities make friends,” while Abriel, “joined Best Buddies because I wanted to make new friends in different grades and then do fun activities with my new friends.”
For Julian eighth-grader Catherine, joining means becoming a part of a club that is truly open to all. “At Best Buddies, it doesn’t matter who you are,” Catherine said. “You are always going to be accepted here.”
Middle schoolers who are interested in joining Best Buddies can click here to learn more about the club at Brooks and Julian.