Best Buddies is a global volunteer movement that believes in empowering our volunteers to carry out the mission and change the world through the power of friendship. Through the leadership and support of our volunteers, we have been able to share our purpose of inclusion in every state and across the world. Creating friendships to advance social inclusion, independence, and empowerment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is the cornerstone of our mission. Best Buddies offers seven formal programs to provide these opportunities to youth and adults with IDD in schools and their community. Below is more information on how you can get involved as a buddy and a list of programs offered to fulfill our mission of one-to-one friendship.

Opportunities for Involvement:

1. Participate as a Buddy: this is a volunteer with an intellectual or developmental disability who attends school with a Best Buddies chapter or is affiliated with the host site that is matched with the college or citizens program.
2. Participate as a Peer Buddy: this is a volunteer who does not have an intellectual or developmental disability who attends the school or workplace with a Best Buddies chapter.
3. Participate as an Officer: this is a volunteer in any program, with or without disabilities, who works with the leadership team to plan events and support the friendships in their chapter.
4. Participate as an Advisor: this is a teacher or school faculty who supports the student leadership team in managing the chapter on campus or in the workplace.

What Does it Mean to Be a Buddy?

As a Best Buddy, you are committing to create and maintain a friendship. When joining a program, you are matched with a peer in your school or community with similar interests.

All friendship pairs are expected to talk once a week and see each other twice a month. This can mean talking on the phone, sending texts, or catching up online. When you plan to see each other, plan to do something you both enjoy. This can mean hanging out with your school chapter, going to campus events together, or doing community activities, like going to the movies or out to dinner.

Basically, when you become a buddy, you are committing to making a new friend and having fun together. This can happen in all sorts of ways.

How Does the Program Work?

You can join the Best Buddies movement at your school, in your community, or at your workplace.

Elementary Schools:  Best Buddies Elementary Schools introduces students to inclusion at a young age. Through events and activities hosted during the school day, students with and without IDD participate in integrated lessons and games which foster understanding, acceptance, and allow for organic friendships to be built between peers of all abilities.

Middle Schools: By forming and supporting one-to-one friendships, Best Buddies Middle Schools helps to create a place of belonging, comfort, and fun for students with and without IDD. By matching students with disabilities with their peers, the Best Buddies program strives to eliminate social isolation and provide engaging and integrated events and activities with the leadership of teachers and students.

High Schools:  Best Buddies High Schools fosters one-to-one friendships between students with and without IDD. With an additional emphasis on leadership training, the High School program provides leadership development and skill building for students with and without disabilities to manage their chapter and develop the skills to lead a movement of inclusion, helping Best Buddies achieve its vision.

 Promoters: Best Buddies Promoters empowers youth who attend middle or high schools without a special education department to become advocates for people with IDD. With an emphasis on student leadership, students engage their school community with events and activities on their campus that brings awareness to the disability rights community and movement.

Colleges:  Best Buddies Colleges fosters one-to-one friendships between college students and their peers or community members with IDD. Historically, adults with IDD have limited opportunities to stay involved in their community after they leave school. Best Buddies Colleges is changing this by providing friendship, leadership roles, and activities for people with IDD to stay connected with their community and engage in campus life.

Click HERE to join one of our school of friendship chapters.

If you don’t see a chapter at your school listed when filling out a membership application, please click HERE to start a chapter.

Citizens:  Best Buddies Citizens creates one-to-one friendships between adults with and without IDD in workplaces and in the community. These opportunities for friendship and inclusion are especially important to adults with IDD, who have limited opportunities to stay involved as they age. By matching volunteers with and without IDD in friendships, hosting engaging community events, and creating matches at workplaces, the Best Buddies Citizens program strives to create an inclusive and diverse community for all.

Click HERE to apply to be a part of the citizens program.

If you don’t see a program in your community listed when filling out a membership application, please click HERE to start a program.

e-Buddies:  e-Buddies provides a safe place online to develop one-to-one friendships between people with and without IDD. Technology is an integral part of society and by participating in e-Buddies, participants can develop the skills necessary to be able to make friends and stay connected using a variety of sources. By joining e-Buddies and becoming comfortable with communicating online, participants are more equipped to stay social in the future.

Click HERE to apply to be a part of e-Buddies.