Charlotte Latin School announced that its spotlight community partner for the 2025–26 school year is Special Olympics North Carolina. The partnership is already providing Charlotte Latin students opportunities to demonstrate their leadership and community engagement, while the Special Olympics organization is benefiting from their talents — and Special Olympics athletes are competing on the Charlotte Latin fields.

Charlotte Latin and Special Olympics have been working together since 2024 as part of the school’s Good Neighbor program, with Special Olympics athletes playing basketball and volleyball in Latin’s gyms and tennis on the school’s courts. Director of Student Leadership Development Dr. David-Aaron Roth recently explained how the school chooses partner organizations: “If we are doing our work well, we are finding partners that align with Latin's mission, vision, and Core Values. They are developmentally appropriate for our students and provide an inclusive experience for any community member..” He added, “So many of our partnerships are about ensuring that all of our students can meaningfully learn with the partner. The reason why we’re working with Special Olympics is that we recognized, through conversations with many stakeholders in the community, the importance of athletics in the experiences of our students. Our partnership with Special Olympics allows us to leverage our talents in athletics.”

“Special Olympics North Carolina is proud to be this year’s spotlight partner with Charlotte Latin School, celebrating a shared commitment to inclusion and community,” said Jamey Petrucci, Mecklenburg County Director of Special Olympics North Carolina. “Our previous collaborations in tennis and basketball have been inspiring, and we’re excited to expand opportunities through student engagement and unified sports. With Charlotte Latin becoming a Unified Champion School, we’re building a lasting partnership that empowers both Charlotte Latin students and Special Olympics athletes to grow together, break down barriers, and create a culture of belonging.” 

This year, Charlotte Latin will host various sports and athletes on and off its campus during school hours and on the weekends, including basketball, soccer, bowling, bocce, and even pickleball. Director of Athletics David Gatoux commented, “I am incredibly excited for the meaningful connection to our service program through our efforts with this year's spotlighted community partner, Special Olympics. Through a shared value in and love of sports participation and the many lessons that come as a result, I am confident this relationship will be fun and impactful in fulfilling the goals of both organizations.”

Although Charlotte Latin has a different spotlight community partner each year, its partnerships are long-term; for example, many students are still devoting time and effort to working with last year’s spotlight partner, Baby Bundles. The all-school Gratitude Assembly, scheduled for this week, will reintroduce students to many of the school’s partners, with a particular emphasis on Special Olympics. Roth added, “I’m thrilled that our entire community will have the opportunity to engage with — and most importantly, learn from — the great work of the Special Olympics athletes, staff, and the culture of community they espouse.”