Project ALL STAR aims to understand how Special Olympics programs improve athletes' health and well-being over time. Athletes contribute their health data and survey responses to understand how Special Olympics impacts physical, social-emotional, and mental health. Special Olympics is dedicated to changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). To grow on this great mission, Project ALL STAR wants to make Special Olympics programs—and the impacts on athletes’ health—even stronger!
What
Athletes contribute their health data and survey responses to understand how Special Olympics impacts athlete health over time.
ALL STAR stands for "Active Live and Longevity: Special Olympics Transforming Athlete Results"
How
By measuring Special Olympics participation and physical, socio-emotional, and mental health.
Through collaboration between local Special Olympics Programs, athletes, scientists, the CDC, and others.
Why
To make Special Olympics programs–and the impacts of athletes' health–even stronger!
Before participating in Project ALL STAR, you will fill out a consent form. While reviewing the consent form, you can ask the Evaluation Coordinator any questions you have about Project ALL STAR. Some things the consent form explains are:
What happens in Project ALL STAR?
What are the responsibilities of a Project ALL STAR participant?
What are the benefits of joining Project ALL STAR?
Why are we doing Project ALL STAR?
Why is Project ALL STAR important?
What information does Project ALL STAR gather?
How is Special Olympics using the information collected through Project ALL STAR?
An event where you complete fitness tests and have fun! You will:
Meet your Evaluation Coordinator and their team. The Evaluation Coordinator will support you as you participate in the project.
Take part in health and fitness tests. Every year you take part in the project, you will attend this event. This will let you know how you have grown in your physical health through Special Olympics.
Receive and set up your Fitbit. You get to keep your Fitbit for participating in Project ALL STAR. It gives you and the team important information about your health. It records the progress you are making in your physical activity and sleep day to day.
Have an opportunity to ask any questions you have.
Interest Survey - This survey tells us that you are interested in participating in Project ALL STAR. You will answer a few questions about who you are, how involved you are in Special Olympics, and the best ways for us to get in contact with you.
Annual Survey - You will be asked to answer questions about who you are, your Special Olympics participation, and your health and well-being once a year.
Daily Quick Surveys - Some athletes in the project will be sent quick daily surveys right to your phone! An evaluation coordinator or someone from the Project ALL STAR team will help you set this up. These surveys will ask you about how you are feeling and the Special Olympics activities you did that day.
Health Surveys - These are surveys you will take a few times throughout the year. Each survey will be about a different area of your health: mental health, physical health, and socio-emotional health.
You receive a free Fitbit for participating in Project ALL STAR.
It gives you and the team important information about your health. It records the progress you are making in your physical activity and sleep day to day.
Meet with a team to discuss your goals and fitness results
Is there something you want to accomplish to improve your health? Maybe you want to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, to set a new personal record in your sport, or something else. Project ALL STAR can offer you support and encouragement to help you set and achieve your goals. Check with your Evaluation Coordinator to see if this is offered in your state.
If you choose to take part in goal setting, you will:
Be trained on how to properly set goals through a method called SMART goal setting
Select someone to serve as your goal sponsor! This is someone that you think will support you and rate your progress on how hard you have worked to achieve them
Have regular check-ins from Evaluation Coordinators and their team to help you track your progress and stay on pace to meet your goal
You can join a group discussion to share your thoughts about the project.
These discussions will focus on what you like and what you think could improve. These group discussions will help us make Project ALL STAR even better! Sharing your voice will help to improve athletes’ health around the world.
What do I get for Participating in Project ALL STAR?
Consent and Enrollment:
T-Shirt and Fitbit Versa 4 Smartwatch
In Person Fitness Assessment
Watter bottle
Goal Setting OR Daily Quick Surveys (after 3 months):
Stress ball
Taking the first 2 surveys
Notebook
Fitbit (after 9 months)
Tote bag
Finishing the first year
Pin
Focus Group
Backpack
We need you, your voice matters!
While you earn awesome Special Olympics merch and a Fitbit, you will get to:
Improve health programs at Special Olympics.
Shape how Special Olympics measures athletes’ health over time; this is the first project of its kind and your voice matters!
Test our data collection tools and gives us feedback on how we can make them better.
Join Special Olympics as a global leader in improving the health of people with intellectual disabilities.
Join Project ALL STAR!
Project ALL STAR Recruitment Video
This is the Project ALL STAR Recruitment Video! It answers questions about how to join, what we want to learn, and the benefits of participating
How can I participate in Project ALL STAR?
If you live in Arizona, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin and are 18 years or older, you can participate now! If you would like to learn more or want to participate, contact us at researchandevaluation@specialolympics.org
Who will contact me about Project ALL STAR?
State Programs and their Evaluation Coordinators
The state programs work with the Special Olympics Research and Evaluation Team. Four Special Olympics State Programs are currently taking part in the first phase of Project ALL STAR (Arizona, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin). In 2025, two more programs (Colorado and New Mexico) will participate in Project ALL STAR. In each state program, there is an Evaluation Coordinator who is dedicated to athletes participating in Project ALL STAR.
What do the Evaluation Coordinators do?
Help plan and implement Project ALL STAR at the program level.
Manage data collection from athletes.
Recruit and train data collectors.
Connect with the Research and Evaluation team at Special Olympics Headquarters.
