More than just a sports organization
Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) is blazing a new trail in the worldwide organization by transforming a former high school campus into the world’s largest Special Olympics facility, known as the Unified Sports and Inclusion Center. As part of the new facility, SOMI received a special gift, an interactive exhibit – Unlocking Inclusion – that it could use to tell Michigan’s Special Olympics story.
Challenge
Developed for the South by Southwest (SXSW) EDU conference in 2019 and commissioned by Special Olympics International, this exhibit invited visitors to open a locker and peek into the lives of real students with and without intellectual disabilities to learn how, together, they’re creating a unified generation.
Now a skeleton, the exhibit needed a storyline and revamping to fit into its new home.
solution
Using the exhibit components—lockers, walls, and chairs—SOMI partnered with ddm to adapt the exhibit to tell the story of Special Olympics Michigan, its athletes, its programs, and its impact on the community.
After hours of ideation and exploration, the teams landed on “ALL IN,” a concept pulling hard on the foundation of “inclusion.” It’s a rallying cry styled as a bold message about both the organization and the athletes. These action-oriented statements for sections of lockers represent the different areas/programs of SOMI:
Line up. (Inclusion, athlete involvement)
Dig deep. (Training and facilities)
Get moving. (Healthy Athletes programs)
Rise above. (Inclusion, Special Olympics unified champion schools)
Let’s go. (Becoming an athlete)
Make it happen. (Athlete leadership and development, volunteering, support)
Step up. (Support, volunteering, sponsoring)
Results
The exhibit has been warmly received by athletes, volunteers, donors, and visitors alike. The bold colors draw you in, piquing curiosity to see what’s inside. The graphics create a fun and celebratory atmosphere, while providing stats and other information about how Special Olympics Michigan supports the community in ways that are less known than its sports programs.
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