- Description:
In the Spring of 2025, Pershing Middle School launched a Best Buddies chapter, joining over 60 other programs across the State of MO – but the very first of its kind in Southwest Missouri.
The first Best Buddies event was held at Pershing on February 26th and was an ice cream social in the gymnasium sponsored by Andy’s Frozen Custard. At the first event, close to 50 Pershing Middle School students were in attendance with more signing up that day. We later discovered that Pershing Middle School now has the largest Best Buddies Middle School Chapter in the State of Missouri.
Best Buddies is an organization that was started over 30 years ago by the same family who founded Special Olympics. This organization works to bridge the gap that exists between students with and without disabilities. Members of Best Buddies in school settings have the opportunity to form genuine friendships and create meaningful connections that have the potential to last a lifetime. Members will get to participate in group social activities and form 1:1 connections with other students both within the school setting and community. Students involved also have the opportunity to help with the Pershing Perk Coffee Co., a coffee cart business that helps foster social and pre-employment skills.
This Pick a Project grant project is to help raise funds to pay for a field trip to Incredible Pizza and for purchasing Best Buddies T-shirts for all students involved with the organization at Pershing Middle School. At the first Best Buddies event, students were surveyed to ask what events they would like to take part in – we have included ideas from students within this grant. We are just getting started and cannot wait to see the impact that this Best Buddies program has on Pershing Middle School and the Springfield community.
- Need Represented: Best Buddies provides opportunities within the school setting for students with and without disabilities to engage and form meaningful connections. These connections help students learn about the world around them both academically and socially. They will then take this knowledge and experience into future schools settings and workplaces, which will help create more opportunities for friendship, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with disabilities. Creating the space for students of all abilities to gather and form friendships is important - it helps bridge the gap that exists and teaches students how to be more accepting towards each other.
- Academic Impact: Social integration within the school setting benefits ALL students involved - both students with and without disabilities - both academically and socially. It gives students the opportunity to be collaborative, form meaningful connections with peers, become more independent, improve self-advocacy and communication skills, and be understood on a deeper level by same-age peers.
Students who attended the first Best Buddies Event were surveyed to ask “Why did you join Best Buddies”, here are some of their responses:
“I love helping and meeting other people. I love reaching out to others.”
“I wanted to make friends with kids that have special needs.”
“To make more friendships with people.”
“Because they’re always being really sweet, and I would like to be friends with them.”
“To create new friendships and spread love.” - Student Population: Best Buddies is available to all students 6-8th grade at Pershing Middle School. Students within the functional skills classrooms are supported with teachers/paras/staff during events held at Pershing. Most of these students have a diagnosis of IDD (intellectual and developmental disability) such as Down syndrome, Autism, Fragile X, chromosomal diagnosis, and other disabilities. Students who are not in Special Education benefit from the opportunity to engage and form friendships with students of all abilities.
