Best Buddies Leadership Development Programs

Best Buddies Leadership Development programs represents one of our organization’s five key mission pillars. The programs educate and empower people with and without IDD to become leaders, public speakers and advocates. Best Buddies passionately believes that its program participants can lead the effort within their community and beyond to build a more inclusive world for people with IDD.

Join a Program or Volunteer

BESTBUDDIES^® Ambassadors

Offers people with and without IDD the opportunity to gain the public speaking skills, self-esteem and confidence needed to successfully advocate for themselves, their peers and Best Buddies in communities, workplaces and government.

Attend a Training

Host a Training

BESTBUDDIES^® Promoters

Empowers youth to become advocates for people with IDD and help open new Best Buddies chapters and programs by organizing special events that promote awareness to the disability rights movement.

Join a chapter

Best Buddies promoters participants on a playground

BESTBUDDIES^® Transitions

Offers a combination of classroom-based training, experiential learning, and corporate mentorship to help students with IDD explore post-secondary options, prepare for independent living, and identify career ambitions. Workshops and activities offer experiences that aid youth with IDD in their transition into adulthood.

Join the program

Best Buddies Transitions program member at work on a farm

How the Ambassadors Program Works

Advocacy Training

When a Best Buddies participant joins the Ambassador program, they enter into a series of group and private training in speech writing and public and conversational speaking to become advocates for themselves and the disability rights movement.

Public Speaking

Once trained, Ambassadors work with Best Buddies staff to identify public speaking opportunities in their local community, where they can share their personal stories with Best Buddies chapters, businesses, legislators, interest groups and donors.

Speech Coaches

Each Ambassador is paired with a speech coach, who helps them brainstorm, organize, write, edit and practice a speech and provides one-on-one attention as needed.

Ongoing Development

Throughout their participation in the program, Ambassadors have access to a variety of ongoing advocacy trainings led by Best Buddies staff.

Advancement

As Ambassadors gain advocacy experience in conversational and public speaking, they have the opportunity to grow into a State or Global Ambassador where they may be invited to speak nationally or internationally on behalf of Best Buddies.

How the Promoters Program Works

Connect

Students attending a school without a special education program can join a Promoters chapter to develop connections with people with IDD, or can start one by contacting their local Best Buddies state office.

Ongoing Support

Each Promoters chapter is led by a President from the student body and a Faculty Advisor, and is assigned a Best Buddies staff person who offers regular support and guidance.

Advocate

Once formed, Promoters chapters host events, activities, fundraisers and assemblies where they advocate for people with IDD, educate the public about inclusion and promote the ideals of the Best Buddies mission.

Events

Throughout the school year, Best Buddies encourages all Promoters chapters to host as many activities as possible (minimum of 4) on and off campus that are inclusive of people with IDD.

How the Transitions Program Works

Eligibility

Individuals with disabilities beginning at age 14; an annual Best Buddies Consent Form, proof of disability and/or registration documentation may be required by local vocational rehabilitation agencies, where appropriate.

Educator Collaboration

Best Buddies Transitions offers students an opportunity to practice and apply career readiness and independent living skills in enriching, community-based learning experiences with support from Best Buddies staff and supporting corporate partners.

Implementation

Participants will meet with Best Buddies staff on a regularly scheduled basis to engage in one-to-one programming, small-group sessions, or classroom-style lessons on topics covered by the five Pre-ETS Components, as outlined in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014:

Self-Advocacy/ Mentoring
Job Exploration Counseling
Workplace Readiness
Work-Based Learning Opportunities
Post-Secondary Counseling

North Carolina Chapter Listing

To join a chapter, click a school name below

Elementary Schools

Beverly Woods Elementary School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 6001 Quail Hollow Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28210, US, null, null, 35.1315682, -80.83611379999999, null]
Catawba Elementary School (Catawba, NC)
API address [ 5415 Hudson Chapel Rd, Catawba, NC, 28609, US, null, null, 35.6968292, -81.0732234, null]
Elon Park Elementary School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 11425 Ardrey Kell Road, Charlotte, NC, 28277, US, null, null, 35.0229671, -80.8431416, null]
Joseph W Grier Academy (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 8330 Grier Road, Charlotte, NC, 28215, US, null, null, 35.2678122, -80.7255165, null]
Lawrence Orr Elementary School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 4835 Shamrock Dr, Charlotte, NC, 28215, US, null, null, 35.2258236, -80.744042, null]
Lead Mine Elementary School (Raleigh, NC)
API address [ 8301 Old Lead Mine Road, Raleigh, NC, 27615, US, null, null, 35.8917406, -78.65671689999999, null]
McKee Road Elementary (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 4101 McKee Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28270, US, null, null, 35.0682015, -80.7549578, null]

Middle Schools

Brogden Middle School (Durham, NC)
API address [ 1001 Leon Street, Durham, NC, 27704, US, null, null, 36.0248147, -78.90899449999999, null]
Brookstone Schools and Metro School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 405 S Davidson St, Charlotte, NC, 28202, US, null, null, null, null, null]
Carmel Middle School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 5001 Camilla Dr, Charlotte, NC, 28226-6760, US, null, null, null, null, null]
Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 3100 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28209-2002, US, null, null, null, null, null]
Jay M. Robinson Middle School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 5925 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy, Charlotte, NC, 28277-0575, US, null, null, null, null, null]
McClintock Middle School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 1925 Rama Road, Charlotte, NC, 28212, US, null, null, 35.1797721, -80.768793, null]
Randolph Middle School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 4400 Water Oak Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, US, null, null, 35.1834201, -80.79500510000001, null]
Wake Forest Middle School (Wake Forest, NC)
API address [ 1800 South Main Street, Wake Forest, NC, 27587, US, null, null, 35.9550452, -78.53065850000002, null]

High Schools

Ballantyne Ridge High Schoool (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 4004 Toringdon Way, Charlotte, NC, 28277, US, null, null, 35.0724152, -80.8377139, null]
Charlotte Catholic High School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 7702 Pineville-Matthews Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28226, US, null, null, 35.0883198, -80.85006059999999, null]
Community School of Davidson (Davidson, NC)
API address [ 404 Armour St, Davidson, NC, 28036-6905, US, null, null, null, null, null]
Cuthbertson High School (Waxhaw, NC)
API address [ 1400 Cuthbertson Rd, Waxhaw, NC, 28173-8101, US, null, null, null, null, null]
Heritage High School (Wake Forest, NC)
API address [ 1150 Forestville Rd, Wake Forest, NC, 27587-7600, US, null, null, null, null, null]
Mount Tabor High School (Winston-Salem, NC)
API address [ 342 Petree Rd, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106-4400, US, null, null, 36.1265075, -80.314706, null]
Myers Park High School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 2400 Colony Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28209-1716, US, null, null, null, null, null]
North Brunswick High School (Leland, NC)
API address [ 114 Scorpion Drive Northeast, Leland, NC, 28451, US, null, null, 34.240703, -78.023386, null]
North Mecklenburg High School (Huntersville, NC)
API address [ 11201 Old Statesville Rd, Huntersville, NC, 28078-7644, US, null, null, 35.3726846, -80.8341696, null]
Northwest School of the Arts (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 1415 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, NC, 28216, US, null, null, 35.256832058195, -80.856307931643, null]
Parkwood High School (Monroe, NC)
API address [ 3220 Parkwood School Road, Monroe, NC, 28112, US, null, null, 34.9016156, -80.6306291, null]
Person High School (Roxboro, NC)
API address [ 1010 Ridge Road, Roxboro, NC, 27573, US, null, null, 36.4104554, -78.9804339, null]
Queens Grant High School (Matthews, NC)
API address [ 10323 Idlewild Rd, Matthews, NC, 28105, US, null, null, 35.1664083, -80.6998661, null]
Reagan High School (Pfafftown, NC)
API address [ 3750 Transou Road, Pfafftown, NC, 27040, US, null, null, 36.17064209999999, -80.3655007, null]
South Mecklenburg High School (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ 8900 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28210-7609, US, null, null, null, null, null]
VCA & School of Hope (Fayetteville, NC)
API address [ 908 South McPherson Church Road, Fayetteville, NC, 28303, US, null, null, 35.04887720000001, -78.9394312, null]
Wake Forest High School (Wake Forest, NC)
API address [ 420 Stadium Drive, Wake Forest, NC, 27587, US, null, null, 35.985911, -78.5162854, null]
West Cabarrus High School (Concord, NC)
API address [ 4100 Weddington Rd, Concord, NC, 28027, US, null, null, 35.4012647, -80.64654159999999, null]
William Amos Hough High School (Cornelius, NC)
API address [ 12420 Bailey Rd, Cornelius, NC, 28031-9134, US, null, null, null, null, null]

Colleges

Appalachian State University (Boone, NC)
API address [ 287 River Side Dr, Boone, NC, 28607-5100, US, null, null, 36.239407, -81.60233749999999, null]
Duke University (Durham, NC)
API address [ 2138 Campus Dr, Durham, NC, 27705-9940, US, null, null, 35.9997503, -78.9333601, null]
High Point University (High Point, NC)
API address [ 1 N University Pkwy, High Point, NC, 27268-0002, US, null, null, 35.9708428, -79.995014, null]
North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, NC)
API address [ Fort I.R.C./Interdisciplinary Research Center, Greensboro, NC, 27411, US, null, null, 36.0733195, -79.7749008, null]
North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC)
API address [ Memorial Belltower, Raleigh, NC, 27607, US, null, null, 35.78611739999999, -78.66349770000001, null]
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)
API address [ 910 Raleigh Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514-3916, US, null, null, null, null, null]
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ Prospector, Charlotte, NC, 28223-0001, US, null, null, 35.30703099999999, -80.7309078, null]
University of North Carolina at Wilmington (Wilmington, NC)
API address [ 601 College Rd, Wilmington, NC, 28403-3201, US, null, null, 34.2277698, -77.8796689, null]
Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC)
API address [ 1834 Wake Forest Rd, Winston-Salem, NC, 27109-6000, US, null, null, 36.1372087, -80.2748648, null]

Citizens

North Carolina Citizens (ages 18+) (Charlotte, NC)
API address [ null, Charlotte, NC, null, null, null, null, null, null, null]
Pfizer & Stevens Center (PSC) Citizens Chapter (Applicants MUST be affiliated with Pfizer-Sanford or the Stevens Center) (Sanford, NC)
API address [ null, Sanford, NC, null, null, null, null, null, null, null]

Is your school not listed? Click here for info on how to start a chapter.

Leadership Development (North Carolina)

Best Buddies Leadership Development Programs

BESTBUDDIES^® Ambassadors

BESTBUDDIES^® Promoters

BESTBUDDIES^® Transitions