Shining Bright: How SPARKLE and Best Buddies Are Lighting Up Torrey Pines High School
SPARKLE’s Purpose and Mission:
The Best Buddies program, SPARKLE, fosters meaningful friendships between students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through organized athletics and public performances. Through these inclusive activities, peer mentoring, and community events, SPARKLE breaks down social barriers and builds a school culture rooted in empathy and acceptance. It empowers students to grow in confidence, develop leadership skills, and embrace student body diversity. By promoting awareness and kindness, SPARKLE not only enriches the high school experience but also lays the foundation for lifelong inclusion and advocacy for individuals with IDD. The program plays a transformative role in enriching the high school experience for all students-both those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and those without.
For students with IDD, SPARKLE provides inclusive friendship, a stronger sense of belonging, and opportunities to participate in school life that might otherwise feel out of reach. This idea of involvement is absolutely essential to the mission and overarching success of both SPARKLE and Best Buddies International. It gives those with IDD a platform to be seen, heard, and celebrated with a unique kind of joy. For neurotypical students, the program cultivates ideas of advocacy, social justice, empathy, and leadership while challenging stereotypes and encouraging meaningful and lasting connections. Through shared experiences; like club meetings, school events and one-to-one buddy pairings, SPARKLE creates a joyful and inclusive environment that allows each individual student to be valued for their personal character, behaving as a school-wide inspiration to make a difference beyond the four years of high school.
The SPARKLE Program in San Diego:
Just before the academic school year began in 2016, student-athlete Juliette Dicken decided that a local San Diego high school was in need of great change. After learning of special education athletics programs implemented elsewhere, Dicken made the executive decision to bring the Sparkle program to Del Mar. Sparkle cheerleaders are made up of students of varying neurological divergence, bringing pep and dancing abilities to schools everywhere. Dicken had to take the initiative to talk to her administrators in order to have the program ratified, where she was ultimately successful. She received financial assistance as well as training from a national Sparkle program manager and developed a team of 17 cheerleaders and 11 students with IDD by the end of the 2016-2017 school year.
What ‘Sparkling’ Looks Like in High School:
SPARKLE at Torrey Pines High School looks like cheering, dancing, and singing at Junior Varsity basketball games- bringing as much pep and joy as needed. As current President of TPHS Best Buddies, I have made a number of friends that are neurodivergent participants in SPARKLE, and recognize it as a key part of their highschool experiences. As of 2025, the SPARKLE program is still holding strong- just as Dicken had intended. The Torrey Pines cheerleading squad puts a great emphasis on participating in SPARKLE, with upwards of 15 team members having partnered with special education students. Special Education Athletic Specialist and Supervisor, Joy Kummerle has remarked in past interviews (The San Diego Union Tribune, 2016) that she is overwhelmed with the productivity and foremost goals of SPARKLE, and that its implementation at Torrey Pines High School has truly been for the greater good of all students. In the grander scheme of things, SPARKLE intends to foster an inclusive and compassionate school community by building genuine friendships between students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through connection, kindness, and advocacy, the international SPARKLE movement aims to promote acceptance, celebrate differences, and empower every student to shine like a star.
In friendship,
Marlo Roberts
YLC Member, California
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