Niagara University and Partners Highlight Special Olympics Course at National Conference

A team from Niagara University and their partners from People, Inc. and Think College presented at the State of the Art conference in Syracuse, N.Y., on Oct. 22, 2025. During their session, the team discussed how the university's Special Olympics Coaching and Games Management course has set the stage for providing postsecondary education opportunities to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Since its inception in 2006, the Special Olympics Coaching and Games Management course has been increasingly popular among students at NU and partners across the region. During the semester, NU students meet for weekly basketball practices at the Kiernan Recreation Center with students from the Niagara Falls City School District and adults from human service agencies such as People, Inc., EMPOWER, and Heritage Christian Services as they earn their coaching credential from Special Olympics New York.

The SONY Western Region Basketball Tournament is the final exam of the course and has grown to be a part of campus culture, with multiple academic, athletic, and social clubs across campus participating in some capacity. The US Army ROTC and state and local law enforcement are also involved.

Last spring, eight students from the Functional Life Skills program at Niagara Falls High School took the course with the NU students, with four of them earning their basketball coaching credential from Special Olympics New York. Both the university and high school students said that the collaboration enhanced their learning and college experience, noted Dr. Dennis Garland, associate professor of special education.

"Students who have taken the course reported it improved their understanding and attitudes about individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and athletes who've participated in the program have expressed a desire for more opportunities for participating at the university," he said. "The activities and relationships associated with the course place Niagara University in the unique position for responding to the need for developing an inclusive postsecondary education program in our community."

The Special Olympics Coaching and Games Management course is being offered in the spring 2026 semester as EDU 333 and HST 333.

The State of the Art Conference is a national conference that convenes colleges, universities, researchers, program staff, parents, and students to discuss the current state of research and effective practices in the field of inclusive postsecondary and higher education.