Amigos in the schools!

Amigos is an inclusion program focusing on youth with intellectual disabilities, but open to all youth who experience barriers to inclusion.

The Amigos program uses peer support and mentorship through matching:
Amigos – students who face barriers to inclusion. 
Amigo Connectors – students who are well connected and supportive of others.

The Amigos program is flexible and can be delivered in a manner to meet the needs that exist within the culture of your school. 

It’s fun and accessible!

"a “light bulb moment” – when you lift your head, you are open to all the possibilities that exist all around you."

when we have our head down: it is often a reflection of not feeling very good about ourselves. When you ask someone to lift their head, their chest and heart lifts too. And when you give someone a “heads up” you are giving them advance information about what is coming up.
Blonde short haired woman in her 40s with a pink shirt seated on a couch beside a young teenage boy, brown hair red polo shirt in a livingroom
Lucinda & Paul

Guiding Principles

 The 4 key guiding principles to keep in mind are:

  • Focus on equality and age appropriateness
  • Differences are celebrated
  • All students participate fully
  • Student leaders have strong support from educators
Two men sitting together with arms wrapped around each other.
A woman and a younger man are standing together outside in Autumn. They are both wearing helmets and have their heads resting on eachothers and smiling at the camera.

who benefits?

  • Young school-aged individuals with barriers to inclusion benefit from the intentional relationships of peers in their school community.
  • Young school-aged individuals who would like to volunteer to take on a leadership role by connecting with peers learn that their efforts do make a difference in creating inclusive places!

Our Why

Heads Up for Inclusion truly believed that everybody deserves to feel as though they belong to their community and environment. That’s why we are always reminding ourselves and others to ask questions and examine what it truly means to be inclusive.

Three school-aged individuals play with a large omnikin ball

Our Online Portal Community

Since COVID-19 threw us a curve ball for our in-person programming. HUI went viral and created an online space for friends of our programs both school and community to chat, connect, and learn together. We have both Amigos and Amigo Connectors from our local community as well as our staff inside monitoring and encouraging the development of supportive relationships that last.

Amigos and Board members on the ice with Petes Hockey
A group of school-aged children making crafts in the cafeteria.
A woman and a younger man are standing together outside in Autumn. They are both wearing helmets and have their heads resting on eachothers and smiling at the camera.
Accessible_Climbing_Wall-7___Super_Portrait
A group of 5 students are huddled together in a group. They are all wearing blue Amigos t-shirts and are standing outside in the sun. Pictured behind them is a local park with grass and trees.
4 School aged individuals build a wooden tower on the ground for a game of Jenga
Three school-aged individuals play with a large omnikin ball
School aged individuals gathered around a picnic table for lunch
School-aged individuals play with a large parachute
Through a wooden rectangle there is a young individual connected to a harness. The individual is smiling happily
Various school-aged individuals stand in a forest ith helmets and harnesses
Individual in harness suspended from tree being held at the feet by another individual
Three young girls seated together on a couch, one young girl seated on the floor in front pose for a group photo
HC15
K11
Young boy crawling on grass below a rainbow parachute
Two young individuals pose for a picture together.
Two individuals crawling on top of colourful parachute. Third individual can be seen in the background waving the parachute as part of a group game.
HC6
Two men sitting together with arms wrapped around each other.
Three schoolaged individuals pose for a picture together
5 school aged individuals pose for a group picture together
woman poses with individual in a wheelchair for a photo
two individuals pose for a group photo with helmets on
A young boy poses for a picture with an adult woman also wearing a helmet
Young male student smiles happily in the leaves
Three individuals pose for a picture outdoors
Group of students standing in a forest learning from an offscreen instructor
two young individuals pose for a picture together
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Join us online

Have a question? Email Devin; Programs Coordinator at devin_hodges@headsupforinclusion.ca