Youth SMILE 4 Special Needs
One of HCO’s core missions is to serve and advocate for the special needs community. Building on our officers’ long-standing partnership with a local adult special needs caring center since 2021, HCO has expanded its outreach to create more accessible, inclusive, and meaningful programs for individuals with special needs. Our advocacy and service efforts are driven by the vision of a more inclusive, equitable, and bias-free world—and what makes HCO unique is its focus on empowering youth to lead these initiatives. Under the umbrella of “Youth SMILE 4 Special Needs,” organized in partnership with the Alliance of Youth Leaders in the United States (AYLUS) – Pearland Branch, HCO currently operates five programs: 1. Bucket Drumming for All, which uses music to build coordination, rhythm, and social connection; 2. SMILE Inclusive Play and Learn, offering semi-structured, play-based learning for individuals of all ages; 3. Youth-Led SMILE Camp, a summer program featuring immersive, inclusive activities that foster growth and teamwork; 4. Pearland My PlayClub, a monthly inclusive play event that raises community awareness and promotes social inclusion; and 5. SMILE Pearland, the newest addition - a condensed version of SMILE Camp designed to provide hands-on skill-building and recreation for individuals with special needs in the Pearland area. Together, these programs cultivate youth leadership while creating supportive, inclusive environments where individuals with special needs can learn, grow, and thrive.
Program Ambassador
Emma and Alice
history
In September 2023, the HCO leadership team mentored local youth organizations to launch “SMILE Inclusive Play and Learn,” a program designed to provide school-aged children with special needs opportunities to learn and have fun through interactive games and activities. Since its launch, more than 40 sessions have been held across three locations—Katy, West Houston, and Greater Dallas. In 2024, under the leadership of President Aila Jiang, HCO introduced a new youth-led curriculum for special needs activities at the Light & Salt Association’s SMILE Day Program. HCO officers developed and implemented structured, multi-skill lesson plans and conducted weekly training sessions to prepare volunteers for effective instruction and engagement. To further pilot and refine the curriculum, HCO officers also organized and taught the inaugural Bucket Drumming program at the Houston and Sugar Land locations of Gigi’s Playhouse, a Down Syndrome Achievement Center. Building on this success, HCO has continued its Bucket Drumming for All program for two consecutive summers, expanding its reach and impact. Most recently, HCO launched SMILE Pearland, a monthly indoor program dedicated to serving the special needs community in the Pearland area, continuing the organization’s mission of inclusion, empowerment, and community connection.