From picking up trash to going on scavenger hunts, the Associated Student Body (ASB) has been working with the Life Skills class to plan community-building events and foster friendships through the ASBuddies program.

ASBuddies began as an informal hangout and has since grown into a more formalized monthly get-together between ASB and Life Skills students.

“It’s a really fun day for our students to get time to relax and have fun, but also a great place to help build those skills of empathy and working with people that maybe are harder for you to communicate with for whatever reason,” said Carson Rietveld, ASB Activities adviser.

Although similar to the Spartan Buddies program, a club on campus that connects special education students to other students in the community, ASBuddies offers a way for special education students to get to know members of ASB.

“It just brings together different types of people because it is more focused on the student government instead of the whole school,” said sophomore Ava Kopp, an organizer for both ASBuddies and Spartan Buddies.

It just brings together different types of people

Kopp says watching students get to know each other is “heartwarming” and said she enjoys seeing both classes more comfortable getting to know each other.

Through ASBuddies, the connection between student government and special education students has been strengthened, according to Rietveld.

In the past, ASB has helped organize and participated in the St. Patrick’s day dance, an annual dance hosting multiple special-ed departments from a variety of schools across the county. According to Rietveld, the ASBuddies program is also a way for students to build familiarity and friendship leading up to this event.

“I really want to see more inclusiveness on campus,” Kopp said. “[ASBuddies is] such a great opportunity to reach out to other people that you don’t know and practice making friendships.”