Hello 2026! 🎆

Dear Best Buddies in Georgia Schools Crew,

Welcome back and welcome forward! We hope that you had a restful and enjoyable holiday season, and we are pumped to continue the fun with you in 2026!

A new semester means new chances: New chances for students to feel seen, for friendships to grow deeper, and for school communities to feel a little more like home.

This spring, we have several exciting things in store! Back to Best Buddies, Friendship Walk, Buddy Ball, Leadership Conference, chapter traditions, and everyday moments of belonging. My hope is that, as you step into this semester, you’ll remember:

• You don’t have to do this alone!

• What feels “small” to you often feels huge to your students.

• The work you’re doing is changing lives in real time.

If you need a sounding board, troubleshooting partner, or someone to cheer you on as we progress through the school year, I’m here! Phone, text, email, or Zoom. Let’s make this semester powerful, sustainable, and joyful.

Thank you for all you do!

Doug Peters
Deputy Director, Programs
Best Buddies in Georgia

🎈Register TODAY for Back to Best Buddies 2026!

January is the perfect moment to pause, regroup, connect, and reset expectations. That’s exactly what Back to Best Buddies (B2BB) is all about!

These sessions are required for all school chapters (elementary, middle, high school, and college) and are built for Faculty Advisors and Student Leaders to attend together. We’ll revisit the mission, share practical tools, and make sure you have a solid plan to finish the year strong. We hope that you join us for one of our trainings! Free food, giveaways, and opportunities to connect with other leaders across Georgia…you don’t want to miss it! Please take a look from our Leadership Training Day sessions this past fall.

A HUGE Best Buddies shoutout to our rockstar Student Advisory Board members for co-facilitating sessions and designing our flyers, to Decatur High School for hosting the Atlanta training, Sand Hill Elementary for opening their doors in Effingham County, and Ebenezer Middle for co-leading our Coastal training. You’re setting the tone for the whole state, and we appreciate you!

🟦 Back to Best Buddies – Atlanta “Hats Off to Friendship” 🎩

📍 Decatur High School – 310 N McDonough St, Decatur, GA 30030
📅 Saturday, February 7, 2026
🕚 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
🎩 Theme: Hats Off to Friendship: Rock your favorite hat and come ready to share wins, swap ideas, and map out what’s next.

🟨 Back to Best Buddies – Effingham County “Springing into Inclusion in Pajamas” 👕

📍 Sand Hill Elementary School – Effingham County
📅 Saturday, February 21, 2026
🕚 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
🛌 Theme: Springing into Inclusion in Pajamas: Keep it cozy while we talk about building warm, welcoming school communities across Coastal Georgia.

💻 Need a Flexible Option?

If your chapter can’t make it to one of the in-person sessions:

1. A virtual B2BB session will be offered.

2. A recording will be available for those who register and follow up.

3. Please send Doug a quick email so we can help your chapter stay in good standing.

📧 [email protected]

Back to Best Buddies is your halftime huddle; a chance to get everyone on the same page before you head into the busiest stretch of the year. We look forward to seeing you soon!

📅 January Jumpstart: Simple Steps to Start Strong

January is finally here! Let’s keep this month focused, doable, and impactful, not overwhelming. Here are a few key moves to set yourself up for success:

🧩 January To-Do List

✅ Reconnect With Your Officer Team
Talk through: What worked in the fall? What felt hard? What’s one thing you want to do differently this spring?
✅ Host A Chapter Event
Consider doing something as a group! Whether it’s creating a welcome-back event, a meeting to share your spring dates, or a fun program to remind your members why their presence matters.
✅ Lock In Your Back to Best Buddies Plan
Decide who’s attending Atlanta or Effingham County, and get your registration in. We can’t wait to see you there!
✅ Check In With Your Buddy Pairs
Reach out to your buddy pairs to see how their friendships are going so far!
✅ Connect with Best Buddies Staff
We’d love to hear how things are going! Whether it’s through the Chapter Check-In Form, email, phone call, text, or GroupMe, we’d love to hear from you.
✅ Sketch Your Spring Calendar
Even if dates are flexible, plug tentative meetings and events into BB360. It’s easier to adjust something than to start from scratch later.
✅ Choose Point People to Delegate (Strongly Recommended!)
We have several exciting things in store for spring, and we can’t do it without you! Consider picking a student or small team to help lead:

• Friendship Walk

• Buddy Ball

• BBLC fundraising

🌍 Get Ready For Best Buddies Leadership Conference 2026!

The Best Buddies Leadership Conference (BBLC) will be here before you know it! Please check out this fun video from our very own Georgia Ambassador, Martha Haythorn. We can’t wait to see you in Indiana this year!

📅 July 17–20, 2026
📍 Indiana University – Bloomington

Don’t procrastinate! Here are three quick January moves you can make:

1️⃣ Name your interest list – Who might be interested in attending? Chapter President? Student Leader? Advisor? Start a list with no commitment yet.

2️⃣ Pick one winter fundraiser – A warm drink cart, candy grams, or a restaurant give-back night can help build a BBLC fund slowly!

3️⃣ Share the “why” with your community – Remind people that sending someone to BBLC isn’t just a trip, it’s an investment in leadership that comes back to your entire school.

👉 Learn more: www.bestbuddies.org/bblc

The Best Buddies Leadership Conference is required for all high school and college chapters. If your chapter is curious but unsure what’s realistic, let’s talk about it early so we can make a plan together. Just let me know, always happy to help!

👟 Lace Up Your Walking Shoes For Friendship Walk 2026!

Before things get busy this spring, January is a great time to quietly lay the groundwork for Friendship Walk success!

For those who are new to our community, the Best Buddies Friendship Walk is the leading event in the country supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), with free food, live music, and a ton of family-friendly activities. 

A huge shoutout to Riverwood International Charter School and Chamblee Charter High School for getting the ball rolling on registering early!

Why Start in January?

• You get more time to share the link and story with families and staff.

• You can incorporate walk promotion into Back to Best Buddies, spring meetings, and social media.

• Fundraising feels less rushed and more intentional.

📢 Atlanta Friendship Walk, Sunday, April 26th at 1:30 p.m.
🔗 https://www.bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org/atlanta/

📢 Coastal Georgia Friendship Walk, Date TBA, 2:00 p.m.
🔗 https://www.bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org/coastalgeorgia/

Consider naming a Friendship Walk Captain to:

• Lead your team registration

• Coordinate shoutouts in announcements, emails, and social media

• Track your progress toward a team goal

Every step you take helps us open more chapters, train more leaders, and create more spaces where students with and without IDD can thrive together. 🌍

🪩 Buddy Ball 2026 - The Countdown is On!

We’re getting closer to our statewide Buddy Ball: Sneaker Ball hosted by Cedar Grove High School. We hope that you are able to join us for fun and connection in March!

📍 Cedar Grove High School
📅 Saturday, March 21, 2026
🕕 6:00 p.m.

If you would like to attend, please consider doing the following to maximize our fun together!

• Choose a chapter color, theme, or accessory (hats, sunglasses, glow sticks, etc.).

• Make a simple plan for rides and support so everyone who wants to attend can.

• Think of Buddy Ball as both a celebration and a reward for all the work your chapter has done this year in addition to Friendship Walk!

We’re excited to see this turn into a Best Buddies in Georgia tradition, with different schools taking turns as host sites in the future. If you’re dreaming about hosting down the road, please feel free to reach out!

 🎂January Birthday Shoutouts 🎉

Gif by deadlyie on Giphy

Let’s celebrate the amazing members of our BBGA family with January birthdays! 🎉

🎈 January 5 – Anna Aronowitz (Heards Ferry Elementary School)
🎈 January 5 – Aubree Harris (South Tattnall Middle School)
🎈 January 6 – Felicia Hayes (Howard Middle School)
🎈 January 7 – Kiersten Morrison (Mary Persons High School)
🎈 January 7 – Kelsey Parker (Islands High School)
🎈 January 13 – Kaylan Warner (South Effingham Middle School)
🎈 January 14 – Cooper Adkison (Marietta Middle School)
🎈 January 18 – Aprille Williams (Russell Middle School)
🎈 January 19 – Dawn Vorel (Marlow Elementary)
🎈 January 20 – Violet Hux (North Springs High School)
🎈 January 21 – Tara Kramer (Talley Street Upper Elementary School)
🎈 January 21 – Tyson Corbin (South Effingham High School)
🎈 January 22 – Taylor Grovogel (Russell Middle School)

We’re so grateful for each of you and the way you show up for your school communities. We appreciate you!

Buddy Spotlight: Haley Hopper and Luke Hoffman from Johns Creek High School

This month’s Buddy Spotlight shines on Haley Hopper and Luke Hoffman from Johns Creek High School, a friendship built on joy, support, and hallway hugs. This story was graciously submitted by Eric Lee, Vice President at Johns Creek.

Haley first met Luke last year on the flag football field, where his older sister played on her team and Luke became their unofficial hype man, doing announcements and cheering the team on every game. When Luke started at Johns Creek this year, their friendship took off.

Haley shared that they “instantly clicked.” They started talking in the halls, hanging out during flex, and getting to know each other more and more. When it came time to make buddy pairs, Haley hoped she’d be matched with Luke:

Since then, their time together has been full of fun and connection, including trips to Xtreme Hop, ice cream outings, chorus concerts, and board games during flex. But it’s the everyday moments that mean the most:

Haley describes Luke as “the sweetest person you will ever meet,” always smiling, making new friends, and bringing positivity wherever he goes.

She credits Best Buddies for creating the space where their friendship could grow:

For Haley, this isn’t just another activity on a busy schedule, it’s something that has changed her life for the better:

And if she could sum it all up in one sentence, it would be this:

Amazing job, Johns Creek High School! A HUGE Best Buddies thank you to Haley, Luke, Eric, and the entire Johns Creek community for showing what authentic friendship looks like in action.

Do you have a success story that you’d like to share? Please feel free to reach out to our Student Advisory Board Mission Moments Chair, Elena Sladkus at [email protected] or send a message to Doug Peters at [email protected]!

🤝 Friendship Tip of the Month: Rebuild the Rhythm!

After a long break, friendships sometimes need a little nudge to get going again. Consider encouraging buddy pairs and chapter members to:

• Set a “first hangout” date of the semester whether it’s for lunch, a walk, or a quick check-in after school.

• Create a mini “Winter Bucket List” with 3–5 simple activities they want to do together (hot chocolate, game night, school event, etc.).

• Share one “high” and one “hope” for the new year when they see each other.

• Revisit boundaries and preferences (noise, crowds, communication styles) so everyone feels comfortable and respected.

Consistency beats complexity, great people! A few small, regular moments can make this semester feel safe, special, and steady. Feel free to reach out to us for assistance, or use the GroupMe to connect with other leaders across Georgia!

📥 Stay Connected with Us!

However your semester is starting, whether it’s busy, calm, exciting, or all of the above, know that we are here to help!

✅ Monthly Chapter Check-In
🔗 Complete Here

✅ Connect with Doug
📧 [email protected]
📅 www.calendly.com/bbgaprograms

✅ Follow Us on Social Media
🔗 Instagram
🔗 Facebook
🔗 LinkedIn

✅ Stay Connected via Remind & GroupMe 
🔗 Remind - Chapter Presidents
🔗 Remind - Faculty Advisors
🔗 GroupMe - Chapter Presidents
🔗 GroupMe - Faculty Advisors

Here’s to a new semester full of steady progress, brave leadership, and unforgettable friendships!

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