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

South Carolina Chapter Listing

To join a chapter, click a school name below

Elementary Schools

Blue Ridge Elementary School (Seneca, SC)
API address [ 995 S Oak St, Seneca, SC, 29678, US, null, null, 34.6692976, -82.9556169, null]
Mitchell Road Elementary School (Greenville, SC)
API address [ 4124 E North St, Greenville, SC, 29615, US, null, null, 34.8762037, -82.31965009999999, null]
Monarch Elementary School (Simpsonville, SC)
API address [ 224 Five Forks Rd, Simpsonville, SC, 29681, US, null, null, 34.7998966, -82.2411905, null]
Mount Pleasant Academy (Mount Pleasant, SC)
API address [ 605 Center Street, Mount Pleasant, SC, 29464, US, null, null, 32.7799489, -79.86201419999999, null]
Oakview Elementary School (Simpsonville, SC)
API address [ 515 Godfrey Rd, Simpsonville, SC, 29681, US, null, null, 34.82697298509393, -82.2327440056171, null]
Rudolph Gordon School-Elementary (Simpsonville, SC)
API address [ 1507 Scuffletown Road, Simpsonville, SC, 29681, US, null, null, 34.7467854, -82.1926135, null]

Middle Schools

Abner Creek Middle School (Greer, SC)
API address [ 221 State Road S-42-618, Greer, SC, 29651, US, null, null, 34.8675731, -82.16661429999999, null]
Beck International Academy (Greenville, SC)
API address [ 901 Woodruff Rd, Greenville, SC, 29607, US, null, null, 34.8377683, -82.3216942, null]
Hillcrest Middle School (Simpsonville, SC)
API address [ 510 Garrison Road, Simpsonville, SC, 29681, US, null, null, 34.7537752, -82.2558055, null]
Inman Intermediate School (Inman, SC)
API address [ 10 W Miller St, Inman, SC, 29349, US, null, null, 35.051916, -82.0981575, null]
Rudolph Gordon School-Middle (Simpsonville, SC)
API address [ 1507 Scuffletown Road, Simpsonville, SC, 29681, US, null, null, 34.7467854, -82.1926135, null]
Socastee Middle School (Myrtle Beach, SC)
API address [ 151 Sheffield Pkwy, Myrtle Beach, SC, 29588, US, null, null, 33.6659286, -78.9756955, null]

High Schools

Ashley Ridge High School (Summerville, SC)
API address [ 9800 Delemar Hwy, Summerville, SC, 29485, US, null, null, 32.9245827, -80.23265409999999, null]
Bluffton High School (Bluffton, SC)
API address [ 12 H. E. McCracken Circle, Bluffton, SC, 29910-5866, US, null, null, 32.249899, -80.8977859, null]
Fort Dorchester High School (North Charleston, SC)
API address [ 8500 Patriot Blvd, North Charleston, SC, 29420, US, null, null, 32.9267318, -80.11005089999999, null]
Hillcrest High School (Simpsonville, SC)
API address [ 3665 S Industrial Dr, Simpsonville, SC, 29681, US, null, null, 34.7146829, -82.2463294, null]
Hilton Head Island High School (Hilton Head Island, SC)
API address [ 70 Wilborn Rd, Hilton Head Island, SC, 29926-1627, US, null, null, null, null, null]
JL Mann High Academy (Greenville, SC)
API address [ 160 Fairforest Way, Greenville, SC, 29607, US, null, null, 34.8070241, -82.3372515, null]
Lucy Beckham High School (Mount Pleasant, SC)
API address [ 1560 Mathis Ferry Rd, Mount Pleasant, SC, 29464, US, null, null, 32.8268879, -79.8447939, null]
Mauldin High School (Mauldin, SC)
API address [ 701 East Butler Road, Mauldin, SC, 29662, US, null, null, 34.7948842, -82.2884959, null]
Palmetto High School (Pelzer, SC)
API address [ 804 N Hamilton St, Pelzer, SC, 29669, US, null, null, 34.632354, -82.4771372, null]
Riverside High School (Greer, SC)
API address [ 794 Hammett Bridge Rd, Greer, SC, 29650, US, null, null, 34.9030045, -82.2557834, null]
TL Hanna High School (Anderson, SC)
API address [ 2600 North Highway 81, Anderson, SC, 29621, US, null, null, 34.5671576, -82.6233574, null]

Colleges

Clemson University (Clemson, SC)
API address [ Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29631, US, null, null, 34.680808167826, -82.784494798521, null]
College of Charleston (Charleston, SC)
API address [ Porters Lodge, Charleston, SC, 29424-0001, US, null, null, 32.7833782, -79.9370429, null]
Furman University (Greenville, SC)
API address [ 3300 Poinsett Hwy, Greenville, SC, 29613-0002, US, null, null, null, null, null]
University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC)
API address [ Technology Services, Columbia, SC, 29201-0001, US, null, null, 33.9929651, -81.0285607, null]
University of South Carolina - Beaufort (Beaufort, SC)
API address [ Sandstone Building, Beaufort, SC, 29902-4601, US, null, null, 32.4364815, -80.66914799999999, null]

Citizens

Citizens Grand Strand
API address [ null, null, SC, null, USA, null, null, 33.836081, -81.1637245, null]
Greenville Citizens (Greenville, SC)
API address [ null, Greenville, SC, null, null, null, null, null, null, null]

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

Leadership Development (South Carolina)

Best Buddies Leadership Development Programs

BESTBUDDIES^® Ambassadors

BESTBUDDIES^® Promoters

BESTBUDDIES^® Transitions