Volunteer projects

Special Needs Cheer Team - Spartan Sparkles

Submitted by SarahH10 on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 13:52.
Last updated on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 11:52.

Vital Stats

 ongoing project
 08/15/2008
  2000
 25
 $2000!

Project Photos

The Problem

Young people with special needs are often looked at differently. Too often, people see what they cannot do. As a result, they are offered few opportunities to play in sports or participate in social activities with normally developing peers. Cheerleading is very popular among children and teens in the Quad Cities; however, as recently as last summer, our community offered no opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in cheerleading. This past July, the Pleasant Valley Cheerleaders created and developed their own Special Needs Cheerleading Squad, the Spartan Sparkles. The squad currently consists of eight girls, ages eight to fourteen, with disabilities ranging from Down Syndrome to Autism. Cheerleading is wonderful exercise: it requires aerobic stamina, strength, balance, rhythm, and flexibility. The Special Olympics organization said it best: Children with disabilities who participate in cheerleading as a Special Olympics sport develop improved physical fitness and motor skills, greater self confidence and a more positive self image. They grow mentally and socially through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of friendship, and ultimately discover not only new abilities and talents, but “their voice” as well.

Why It's Important

The cheerleaders’ primary goal is to create a permanent Special Needs Cheerleading Squad, staffed by cheerleader volunteers that, year after year, will provide a cheerleading opportunity to any interested student with special needs, ages 8 to 18. During the Sparkles’ practices, the focus is on having fun while learning new skills. The cheerleaders pepper each practice with games that the Sparkles have grown to love. These games help the Sparkles with counting and staying “on the beat.” They also help the Sparkles to bond both with the PV Cheerleaders and with one another.

The Plan Of Action

Since August, the Pleasant Valley Cheerleaders have practiced twice per week with the Sparkles, on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:45 until 6:30. These practices will continue throughout the rest of the school year. The Sparkles have already cheered at three home football games . They will cheer at several home basketball games this winter and will compete in the Mid-Winter Special Olympics at the University of Iowa March 13 and 14, 2009.

How Can Others Get Involved?

 www.spartansparkles.com

Project Updates

02/21/09
Update: Our program is a huge sucess! We have added more girls and have had many people inquire about our team! No one has been turned away! We realize we can only handle a certain number to keep the quality of interaction up. Our plan now is to help other school start their own teams. We're making a film about our "road to Special Olympics". With that and other documents, we feel we can hand out "kits" to jump start this idea across the nation! While all star teams have special need cheer teams, they are adult led. They focus on competition. Our teams are student led, and focus on participation within the school and community. Including the Sparkles into PVHS has open the minds and hearts of our whole student body! This about spreading this to all 50 states! We feel like this idea can change the world! Keep your eyes on us! We'll take this to the next level!

Additional hours volunteered: 70
Additional people impacted: 1000
Additional people involved: 5

04/8/09
Update: Our integrated shout cheer team "the PV Sparkles" competed in the Mid Winter Special Olympics in Iowa City on March 14th. We had a blast and brought home the gold. Check out our new website and non profit cooperation! www.TheSparkleEffect.org We are hoping to spread the sparkle across the states! Watch our videos here: http://www.thesparkleeffect.org/video.html


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Final Grant Update

06/2/09
Sarah Herr and the Sparkle Cheer team with Special Needs
Number of people in the organization: 18
Number of people impacted: 2000
Describe the impact the grant had: Winning the grant helped us go to the mid winter Special Olympics. families with children with special needs often have a burden of medical cost and we didn't want them to have to pay for the Specail Olympics in Iowa city. We raised a total of $2000 to cover the travel and new matching warm up for the Sparkles. It was amazing!!!
Project highlights: 1.)The awesome support from our student body! 2.)Mid Winter Special Olympics - we brought home the gold! 3.)Starting The Sparkle Effect non profit to grow this program nation wide. See thesparkleeffect.org
How did the project unfold and develop? The Sparkle grew to become the face of Pleasant Vally High School! After football season, they cheered at basketball games. The Sparkles took the court and the entire student section – including those unruly, bare-chested senior guys – stood up and began chanting, “Here We Go Sparkles, Here We Go!” It seems that the community response was so positive that the school no longer wanted to keep the program small and contained – they wanted it to grow. And grow it has. There is now a list of students eager to join the squad.

Location

Related Causes:
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Is this a...: 
ongoing project
Web site link: 
www.spartansparkles.com
How many people are directly involved in your project? : 
25
How many people has your project helped?  : 
2000
Location(s)



Bettendorf, IA, 52722
See map: Google Maps
What's the problem you are trying to solve?: 
Young people with special needs are often looked at differently. Too often, people see
what they cannot do. As a result, they are offered few opportunities to play in sports or
participate in social activities with normally developing peers. Cheerleading is very popular
among children and teens in the Quad Cities; however, as recently as last summer, our
community offered no opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in cheerleading.
This past July, the Pleasant Valley
Cheerleaders created and developed their own Special Needs Cheerleading Squad, the Spartan
Sparkles. The squad currently consists of eight girls, ages eight to fourteen, with disabilities
ranging from Down Syndrome to Autism.
Cheerleading is wonderful exercise: it requires aerobic stamina, strength, balance,
rhythm, and flexibility. The Special Olympics organization said it best: Children with disabilities
who participate in cheerleading as a Special Olympics sport develop improved physical fitness
and motor skills, greater self confidence and a more positive self image. They grow mentally and
socially through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of
friendship, and ultimately discover not only new abilities and talents, but “their voice” as well.
Why is it important to you?: 
The cheerleaders’ primary goal is to create a permanent Special Needs Cheerleading
Squad, staffed by cheerleader volunteers that, year after year, will provide a cheerleading
opportunity to any interested student with special needs, ages 8 to 18. During the Sparkles’
practices, the focus is on having fun while learning new skills. The cheerleaders pepper each
practice with games that the Sparkles have grown to love. These games help the Sparkles with
counting and staying “on the beat.” They also help the Sparkles to bond both with the PV
Cheerleaders and with one another.
What's your plan of action?: 
Since August, the Pleasant Valley Cheerleaders have practiced twice per week with the
Sparkles, on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:45 until 6:30. These practices will
continue throughout the rest of the school year. The Sparkles have already cheered at three home
football games . They will cheer at several home basketball games this winter and will compete in the Mid-Winter Special Olympics at the University of Iowa March 13 and 14, 2009.
Total hours volunteered (to date): 
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Start Date: 
08/15/2008
Money Raised: 
$2000!

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among children and teens in the Quad Cities; however, as recently as last summer, our
community offered no opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in cheerleading.
This past July, the Pleasant Valley
Cheerleaders created and developed their own Special Needs Cheerleading Squad, the Spartan
Sparkles. The squad currently consists of eight girls, ages eight to fourteen, with disabilities
ranging from Down Syndrome to Autism.
Cheerleading is wonderful exercise: it requires aerobic stamina, strength, balance,
rhythm, and flexibility. The Special Olympics organization said it best: Children with disabilities
who participate in cheerleading as a Special Olympics sport develop improved physical fitness
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socially through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of
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community offered no opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in cheerleading.
This past July, the Pleasant Valley
Cheerleaders created and developed their own Special Needs Cheerleading Squad, the Spartan
Sparkles. The squad currently consists of eight girls, ages eight to fourteen, with disabilities
ranging from Down Syndrome to Autism.
Cheerleading is wonderful exercise: it requires aerobic stamina, strength, balance,
rhythm, and flexibility. The Special Olympics organization said it best: Children with disabilities
who participate in cheerleading as a Special Olympics sport develop improved physical fitness
and motor skills, greater self confidence and a more positive self image. They grow mentally and
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practices, the focus is on having fun while learning new skills. The cheerleaders pepper each
practice with games that the Sparkles have grown to love. These games help the Sparkles with
counting and staying “on the beat.” They also help the Sparkles to bond both with the PV
Cheerleaders and with one another.
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opportunity to any interested student with special needs, ages 8 to 18. During the Sparkles’
practices, the focus is on having fun while learning new skills. The cheerleaders pepper each
practice with games that the Sparkles have grown to love. These games help the Sparkles with
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football games . They will cheer at several home basketball games this winter and will compete in the Mid-Winter Special Olympics at the University of Iowa March 13 and 14, 2009.
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what they cannot do. As a result, they are offered few opportunities to play in sports or
participate in social activities with normally developing peers. Cheerleading is very popular
among children and teens in the Quad Cities; however, as recently as last summer, our
community offered no opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in cheerleading.
This past July, the Pleasant Valley
Cheerleaders created and developed their own Special Needs Cheerleading Squad, the Spartan
Sparkles. The squad currently consists of eight girls, ages eight to fourteen, with disabilities
ranging from Down Syndrome to Autism.
Cheerleading is wonderful exercise: it requires aerobic stamina, strength, balance,
rhythm, and flexibility. The Special Olympics organization said it best: Children with disabilities
who participate in cheerleading as a Special Olympics sport develop improved physical fitness
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opportunity to any interested student with special needs, ages 8 to 18. During the Sparkles’
practices, the focus is on having fun while learning new skills. The cheerleaders pepper each
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what they cannot do. As a result, they are offered few opportunities to play in sports or
participate in social activities with normally developing peers. Cheerleading is very popular
among children and teens in the Quad Cities; however, as recently as last summer, our
community offered no opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in cheerleading.
This past July, the Pleasant Valley
Cheerleaders created and developed their own Special Needs Cheerleading Squad, the Spartan
Sparkles. The squad currently consists of eight girls, ages eight to fourteen, with disabilities
ranging from Down Syndrome to Autism.
Cheerleading is wonderful exercise: it requires aerobic stamina, strength, balance,
rhythm, and flexibility. The Special Olympics organization said it best: Children with disabilities
who participate in cheerleading as a Special Olympics sport develop improved physical fitness
and motor skills, greater self confidence and a more positive self image. They grow mentally and
socially through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of
friendship, and ultimately discover not only new abilities and talents, but “their voice” as well.
Why is it important to you?: 
The cheerleaders’ primary goal is to create a permanent Special Needs Cheerleading
Squad, staffed by cheerleader volunteers that, year after year, will provide a cheerleading
opportunity to any interested student with special needs, ages 8 to 18. During the Sparkles’
practices, the focus is on having fun while learning new skills. The cheerleaders pepper each
practice with games that the Sparkles have grown to love. These games help the Sparkles with
counting and staying “on the beat.” They also help the Sparkles to bond both with the PV
Cheerleaders and with one another.
What's your plan of action?: 
Since August, the Pleasant Valley Cheerleaders have practiced twice per week with the
Sparkles, on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:45 until 6:30. These practices will
continue throughout the rest of the school year. The Sparkles have already cheered at three home
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$2000!

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Web site link: 
www.spartansparkles.com
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How many people has your project helped?  : 
2000
Location(s)



Bettendorf, IA, 52722
See map: Google Maps
What's the problem you are trying to solve?: 
Young people with special needs are often looked at differently. Too often, people see
what they cannot do. As a result, they are offered few opportunities to play in sports or
participate in social activities with normally developing peers. Cheerleading is very popular
among children and teens in the Quad Cities; however, as recently as last summer, our
community offered no opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in cheerleading.
This past July, the Pleasant Valley
Cheerleaders created and developed their own Special Needs Cheerleading Squad, the Spartan
Sparkles. The squad currently consists of eight girls, ages eight to fourteen, with disabilities
ranging from Down Syndrome to Autism.
Cheerleading is wonderful exercise: it requires aerobic stamina, strength, balance,
rhythm, and flexibility. The Special Olympics organization said it best: Children with disabilities
who participate in cheerleading as a Special Olympics sport develop improved physical fitness
and motor skills, greater self confidence and a more positive self image. They grow mentally and
socially through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of
friendship, and ultimately discover not only new abilities and talents, but “their voice” as well.
Why is it important to you?: 
The cheerleaders’ primary goal is to create a permanent Special Needs Cheerleading
Squad, staffed by cheerleader volunteers that, year after year, will provide a cheerleading
opportunity to any interested student with special needs, ages 8 to 18. During the Sparkles’
practices, the focus is on having fun while learning new skills. The cheerleaders pepper each
practice with games that the Sparkles have grown to love. These games help the Sparkles with
counting and staying “on the beat.” They also help the Sparkles to bond both with the PV
Cheerleaders and with one another.
What's your plan of action?: 
Since August, the Pleasant Valley Cheerleaders have practiced twice per week with the
Sparkles, on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:45 until 6:30. These practices will
continue throughout the rest of the school year. The Sparkles have already cheered at three home
football games . They will cheer at several home basketball games this winter and will compete in the Mid-Winter Special Olympics at the University of Iowa March 13 and 14, 2009.
Total hours volunteered (to date): 
50
Start Date: 
08/15/2008
Money Raised: 
$2000!

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mrs.ashton.kutcher says:
 

This is such a thoughtful project, and it also helps to break the negative stereotype of cheerleaders as being mean and selfish. Way to represent, girls!

 
EricaB09111 says:
 

As a young, female girl with cp, (cerebral palsy) I think it's great that people are giving them a chance to express themselves as "normal" kids their age would while still having fun. I also think that it's important to get as much excerise in as possible especially if your bound to a wheelchair which can be hard.

 
katierad says:
 

my high school had a special needs basketball team. they would play other schools (there were 4 or 5 teams in the area i think) at our school lunches and it was awesome!!! the gym was packed with students who chowed down and cheered on the home team. the kids in the class who didn't play on the team were the cheerleaders. they didn't have awesome uniforms like your group does but it was still a blast. it's always fun to get involved at your school no matter who you are :)