The Origin of Buddy Bandanas
Five years ago, while serving as a Student Advisory Board Member for PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, I became involved with Best Buddies and learned a statistic that stayed with me: individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are three times more likely to experience bullying than their peers who do not have IDDs. Having worked with elementary-aged children, I knew that visual reminders can be powerful teaching tools. That's when I created Buddy Bandanas, which are a simple but meaningful way to encourage kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. I designed a special bandana for students to tie onto their backpacks as a daily reminder to choose friendship, celebrate differences, and make everyone feel like they belong.
 

By teaching these values at a young age, we're helping build a generation that sees kindness and inclusion not as an exception, but as the norm.

Buddy Bandanas are about more than a piece of fabric—they spark conversations, inspire action, and create opportunities for children to learn about acceptance. Over the past five years, I have distributed more than 1,000 Buddy Bandanas to local elementary schools and reached over 500,000 people through social media advocacy and promotion.

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The Process

Each Buddy Bandanas visit begins with an interactive presentation for elementary students. I share my experience with Best Buddies and introduce them to my own best buddy, Elizabeth. Through our friendship, students learn how meaningful connections can help create a more inclusive world.

 

The Book

Next, I read Just Ask! by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The book celebrates differences by comparing people to a beautiful garden, where every plant contributes something unique. It encourages children to ask questions, learn about others' experiences, and recognize that challenges—whether someone uses a wheelchair, communicates through sign language, has Down syndrome, autism, or lives with diabetes—do not define a person's worth.

The story teaches empathy, understanding, and inclusion while helping children see differences as strengths. Just Ask! received the Schneider Family Book Award and became a #1 New York Times bestseller.

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The Pledge

At the conclusion of the presentation, students join me in reciting the Buddy Bandanas Pledge before receiving their own bandana to wear proudly.

The Buddy Bandanas Pledge

"I promise to be kind, include others, celebrate differences, and be a friend to people of all abilities. I will treat people with kindness, respect, and understanding. I will help others feel they belong, stand up for friendship, and choose inclusion every day. I will wear my Buddy Bandana proudly as a reminder to be a helper, a friend, and an ally. I choose to include."
 

Help Me Spread Inclusion

Every Buddy Bandana distributed has been funded through my own personal investment in this mission. What started as a simple idea has grown into a program that has reached more than 1,000 students and over 500,000 people through social media. I am currently seeking a sponsor or community partner to help bring Buddy Bandanas to even more schools. Together, we can empower the next generation to choose kindness, celebrate differences, and create communities where everyone belongs. Interested in partnering with Buddy Bandanas? I'd love to hear from you.