Associate Members and Promoters Chapter Members
The Best Buddies mission focuses on four pillars: friendship, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living. Leadership development offers opportunities beyond serving as an ambassador or a chapter officer; Best Buddies envisions each of our members, whether they are an officer, an associate member, a promoter member, or matched in a friendship, to be leaders in their schools and community. Each participant of Best Buddies is an advocate for social inclusion and a leader in the disability rights movement. Each individual participant can make a significant impact by fostering a more inclusive school and community, educating their peers, and raising awareness.
The promoters program was created with certain goals in mind to continue to drive our mission of inclusion forward. These goals are also applicable to the associate members of school friendship chapters and should be kept in mind by every participant of Best Buddies.
Promoters chapter members and associate members are crucial aspects to the Best Buddies mission. Without active leaders and members to grow community awareness, our chapters would not thrive. Below are examples ways promoters chapters can stay involved in the Best Buddies mission and associate members can be active members of their friendship chapter.
Promoters Chapter Members:
- Participate and promote in Spread the Word, Inclusion within their school and community
- Support local school of friendship chapters by hosting events and activities
- Provide additional support to state-wide or regional Best Buddies events like Friendship Walks, Ambassador Trainings, and Local Leadership Training Days
- Host inclusive events on their campus to promote organic friendships between people of all abilities
Associate Members:
- Support their chapter leadership team by creating committees to assist with event planning, fundraisers, Spread the Word, Inclusion, etc…
- Attend chapter events and activities and engage with buddy pairs to create fully inclusive friendships school wide
- Assist with planning chapter trainings like Back to Best Buddies, or statewide Ambassador Trainings
- Support their chapter by creating a Friendship Walk team and promoting the chapter’s team on and off their school’s campus
Documents and Downloads
Promoters Chapter Members and Associate Members Guide
Activation Guide for Chapter Members
Buddy Pairs
Best Buddies envisions a world where people of all abilities work, attend school, and have fun together; a world where people are recognized and celebrated for the characteristics that make them uniquely themselves. We work to achieve this goal by creating one-to-one friendships between people with and without disabilities in schools and in the community. By matching and cultivating new friendships, we advance our mission of inclusion and take one step closer to a world of acceptance.
But – as we all know – making friends is hard. And sometimes people need some tools and support to develop their friendship. Best Buddies recommends that buddy pairs spend time together twice a month and talk once a week to help build a mutually beneficial friendship. In addition, Best Buddies provides trainings, resources, and fun ideas to make sure that new matches get to know each other in a natural way and have the space they need to create a life-long friendship. Below, you will find videos, tools, and materials to help you support matches in your chapter and ensure that everyone has fun building a better world for the future!
Documents and Downloads
Buddy Pair Match Sheet
Get to know you guide for new buddy pairs
One-to- One Activity Guide
Activity ideas for buddy pairs
Submitting your Friendship Update
Video tutorial on how to submit your friendship update via the Best Buddies Mobile App.