Building Inclusion
Join us at Overlake Best Buddies and champion a world where everyone belongs and thrives.
200 million people
globally has IDD
1 in 6 children
has a developmental disability
6 vs. 125
average social circle for people with IDD vs. others.
Resources For You
Volunteering Opportunities
Looking to be involved? Join us in supporting various organizations, like Special Olympics or Camp Prime Time.
Parent and Guardian Resource Center
Are you a parent/guardian? Here are the tips, guidance, and resources to better understand IDD and help your children grow, learn, and feel supported every day.
School-wide Awareness Campaigns
Awareness Presentation
We made a presentation aimed at raising awareness and educating the public about IDD! Use it to educate yourselves and spread it to others.
FAQs for Our Students
What is Overlake Best Buddies?
Overlake Best Buddies is a student-led chapter at The Overlake School that works to build an inclusive society for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
We also launched the #InOneSpace campaign, where we fight for the end to infantilization and patronization of those with IDD.
What can I do to support?
Spread the inclusion to your peers, your school, your workplace! Use the Awareness Campaigns & School Ideas page to gain resources and ideas for your journey. We would appreciate it if you could leave your testimonials or comments about how helpful this website was using the Contact Us form (instructions on the top of this page).
You can also use the Volunteering Opportunities page to find ways to get involved in organizations (including Best Buddies). Make sure to fill out the form embedded in the page to let us know how helpful the page was!
Lastly, we appreciate donations to our chapter that we can use for more events and projects. Use the Donate page to do so!
What activities does Overlake Best Buddies organize?
We organize social events, educational workshops, and community service projects. At our school, we raised awareness about IDD through poster-making, fundraisers, hosting speakers, and several activities.
Outside of our school, we visit local elementary schools to collaborate with their special needs club and do fun activities with them!
We also organize events at local libraries where we teach others regarding IDD and inclusion, along with fun activities (again)!
At the local ice arena, Snoking Ice Arena, we started the Adaptive Skating program. Matching coaches to the skaters with IDD, we helped everyone learn how to skate and more importantly, to have fun!