Jefferson City, Mo. (Dec. 18, 2019) — Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO) has named the Novak Leadership Institute at the University of Missouri an “Outstanding Organization” for 2019. Brandon Schatsiek, Multimedia and Athlete Leadership Manager for SOMO, said the three-year partnership of SOMO and NLI has been fruitful for all of SOMO’s constituents and for students at the Novak Institute.
“Each semester since spring 2017, Novak students have taken on projects to benefit our programs and the results have been remarkable,” Schatsiek said. “In addition, every year, Novak students volunteer more than 1,500 hours doing primary and secondary research, helping at our events and more.”
As part of the course “Strategic Communication Leadership,” taught at the Missouri School of Journalism, students undertake a hands-on service learning project. Most recently, teams developed actionable strategies to develop a culture at SOMO where key groups (families, coaches, volunteers and staff) are recognized and celebrated for their meaningful contributions.
“As we have seen each semester, the students provide real-world solutions for obstacles and opportunities our athletes and organization face,” Schatsiek said. “They provide invaluable research that we simply don’t have the time nor resources to do ourselves.”
As part of the SOMO/NLI partnership, each March the University of Missouri hosts athletes on campus with courses in communications, coaching, technology, leadership, life skills, and health, through SOMO’s Athlete Leadership Programs University.
Brandon Butcher, NLI associate director, said Novak students were enthusiastic about the partnership.
“They love the opportunity to interact with the SOMO community and engage with the challenges facing the organization,” Butcher said. “We as professors and our students learn so much from the athletes, volunteers, and SOMO staff. It’s truly a win-win and we’re very proud of the ongoing relationship.”
For more information about the partnership or photos from various events between the two organizations, email Schatsiek@somo.org or ButcherB@missouri.edu.
This story was first published on the Missouri School of Journalism website.