**Community Partner:** Pestalozzi School

**Social Issue:** Intellectual disabilities

**Ambassador**: Len Schoormann

**Main Life Skills:** Inclusiveness, Social engagement, Teamwork

**About the program:**

ratiopharm ulm’s One Team program, in its third year partnering with the Pestalozzi School, will foster community cohesion for boys and girls aged 10–12 with learning disabilities. The programs´ objectives include developing life skills through basketball, teaching teamwork, promoting personal growth, and ensuring fun. Each of the on-court sessions will emphasize team building through pair or group drills (e.g., dribbling, passing, or command-based activities like forming a square on a whistle or shooting on a clap), encouraging students to collaborate, problem-solve independently, and consider others, regardless of differences. 

These activities, tailored to individual challenges, help students build basketball skills, confidence, and social awareness, making them feel safe, included, and active within the community. A One Team Ambassador will visit sessions, and the program may be promoted at the club’s “OrangeDinner” charity event alongside other CSR initiatives. With the fun-focused sessions ensure all participants feel included, learn new skills, and grow in confidence and social awareness within a supportive community.

The program also encourages participants to solve problems independently or as a team, fostering critical thinking and adaptability. Practices are tailored to meet the specific needs of each player, ensuring a supportive environment that empowers young individuals through the sport of basketball. Through this initiative, Ulm and Lebenshilfe Senden are making a meaningful impact in the lives of these athletes.