Eunice Kennedy Shriver
1921–2009
Brookline; Hyannis Port
Eunice Kennedy Shriver was born in Brookline and grew up in a family that enjoyed sports. Her relationship with her sister Rosemary helped her recognize how people with intellectual disabilities were often excluded from opportunities. In 1962 she started Camp Shriver, where young people could try sports and demonstrate their abilities. The first International Special Olympics Games followed in 1968. Athletes, families, coaches, and volunteers helped the movement grow around the world. Shriver's work challenged low expectations and opened more space for competition, friendship, and participation by people with intellectual disabilities.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- How can sport reveal questions about teamwork and equal opportunity?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Eunice Kennedy Shriver mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Grades 6–8: dig deeper
How can changing access to sports challenge assumptions about what people with disabilities can do?
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: specialolympics.org ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?