Today, SALYNE EL SAMARANY discusses Special Olympics global mission of bringing inclusion into the classroom through micro-credentialing for educators. She talks about the importance of UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and how Special Olympics leads by example around the world.

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SALYNE EL SAMARANY is the Vice President of the Global Center for Inclusion in Education at Special Olympics International, where she works with a global team to lead initiatives to promote inclusive education and social inclusion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She advocates for leveraging technology, including AI, to improve learning experiences for students with disabilities and professional development for teachers. Previously, Salyne was the CEO of Teach For Lebanon, an NGO focused on improving education for thousands of children in Lebanon, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds. She addressed educational inequalities by empowering teachers and youth leaders to drive education reform, particularly in emergency settings. Salyne holds an MBA from the University of Balamand and has expertise in consultancy for change, providing strategic advice to improve organizations' social impact. She participated in the 2007 Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Program at Georgetown University, which shaped her commitment to addressing civil society and educational inequalities. Throughout her career, Salyne has received numerous awards, including the 2014 UN Special Envoy for Global Education’s Youth Courage Award. She also received the Arab Creativity Award in 2016 for her leadership in social change and was recognized by Facebook in 2018 as part of the Facebook Community Leadership Program for her leadership efforts to create informed online communities through education and technology.

LINKS

Special Olympics Global Center Webpage: https://www.specialolympics.org/what-we-do/youth-and-schools/global-center-for-inclusion-in-education

Special Olympics Global Center Briefs and Case Studies: https://www.specialolympics.org/what-we-do/youth-and-schools/resources/briefs?locale=en

Community Impact Stories :

https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/impact/pioneering-inclusive-sports-education-in-slovakia

Hosted by Katie Corbett & Lee Fox Beauregard

Opening Music by Alex Cap. Incidental Music by Bruce Maginnins.

Produced by Akira Nakano

www.innovatinginclusion.org