Virtual | November 5, 2025

On November 5, Best Buddies’ International Programs team hosted its first-ever global virtual Ambassador Training, bringing together ambassadors and speech coaches from Malaysia, Northern Ireland, Türkiye, and Costa Rica for a powerful day of learning, storytelling, and connection.

Designed as a beginner-level training, the session created a welcoming space for ambassadors to take their first steps into public speaking and self-advocacy, while building confidence to share their voices on a global stage.

A Truly Global Training Experience

The training paired one ambassador and one speech coach from Malaysia, Türkiye, and Costa Rica, along with two ambassadors and two speech coaches from Northern Ireland, creating a diverse, cross-cultural learning environment. Despite joining from different countries, time zones, and backgrounds, participants quickly connected through shared purpose and mutual encouragement.

This marked a milestone for the International Programs team, representing a new model for cross-country collaboration and leadership development within the Ambassador Program.

Building Confidence Through Storytelling

Throughout the training, ambassadors were guided through the fundamentals of speech writing, storytelling, and public speaking. With the support of trained speech coaches, participants reflected on their personal journeys and experiences with Best Buddies, inclusion, and self-advocacy.

By the end of the session, every ambassador completed a personal speech, sharing:

• Their connection to Best Buddies
• What inclusion means in their lives and communities
• The challenges they’ve faced and the growth they’ve experienced
• Their hopes for creating a more inclusive world

Each speech was unique, rooted in individual lived experiences and perspectives, highlighting the power of personal storytelling as a tool for advocacy and change.

A Foundation for Future Leadership

As a beginner-level training, the session focused on creating a supportive environment where ambassadors could learn at their own pace, ask questions, and build confidence. Speech coaches played a key role in providing encouragement, structure, and individualized feedback, ensuring each ambassador felt supported throughout the process.

The success of this first global virtual training demonstrated the potential for scalable, inclusive leadership development across countries while amplifying the voices of ambassadors with intellectual and developmental disabilities on an international platform.

Looking Ahead

This inaugural virtual Ambassador Training marks an exciting step forward for Best Buddies International Programs. By connecting ambassadors across borders and empowering them to share their stories, the program continues to expand opportunities for global self-advocacy and leadership.

The International Programs team looks forward to building on this momentum with future trainings, deeper skill-building opportunities, and continued collaboration across the global Best Buddies network, ensuring that every ambassador’s voice is heard, valued, and celebrated.