Best Buddies Club debuts at Thomas Jefferson High School

Over 30 high school students have signed on as members of the brand new Best Buddies Club at Thomas Jefferson High School. The Best Buddies Club fosters one-to-one friendships between students with and without Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). The Best Buddies program matches our high school students in need of a friend with a member of the TJHS Best Buddies Club. The Best Buddies Club held a kick-off pizza party on Friday, October 4, 2019 to introduce club members and buddy matches, announce club officers, and provide a social opportunity for everyone to get to know each other and have fun.

Due to the overwhelming response from students, the Best Buddies Club will provide ongoing opportunities for inclusion and friendship during the school day and also at extracurricular and social events such as the Friday night football games, sporting events, school dances, musical and theatrical performances and other social engagements in addition to matched, one-to-one friendships. These social events can cause anxiety for all students, so Best Buddies members will do their part to make sure that no student feels alone or left out in social situations. Parents are encouraged to email club advisors if they have a child that could benefit from additional social support. All names and information will be handled with the utmost dignity and respect. The high school years are a time of heightened social and emotional development and can be difficult even for those without IDD. The Best Buddies program helps break through social barriers at an important time in a young person’s life and can help lead to lifelong friendships.

Congratulations to all of the members and officers of the first Best Buddies Club at TJHS!