Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools Grants

Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools Grants is sponsored by Special Olympics. Special Olympics provides Unified Champion Schools Grants to help educators and students work together in building inclusive school environments. The program fosters social inclusion through sports, youth leadership, and whole-school engagement.

Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® Find Special Olympics Near Me Find Special Olympics Near Me Find Special Olympics Near Me We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place—one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time. Based on your location, your local program is %location% . Your location could not be automatically determined.

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Ways to give to Special Olympics Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools ® builds on Special Olympics’ values, principles, practices, experiences and impacts to shape a generation that welcomes everyone.

Our Goal: Schools that Welcome All People The Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools program is aimed at promoting social inclusion through intentionally planned and implemented activities affecting systems-wide change in K–12 schools and across college campuses .

With sports as the foundation, the three component model offers a unique combination of effective activities that equip young people with tools and training to create sports, classroom and school climates of acceptance. These are school climates where students with disabilities feel welcome and are routinely included in, and feel a part of, all activities, opportunities and functions.

This is accomplished by implementing inclusive sports, inclusive youth leadership opportunities, and whole school engagement. The program is designed to be woven into the fabric of the school, enhancing current efforts and providing rich opportunities that lead to meaningful change in creating a socially inclusive school that supports and engages all learners.

What a Unified Champion School “looks like” can vary greatly from school to school, based on the needs, goals, schedules and other factors unique to each school; but the basic building blocks remain the same. Together we are creating a Unified Generation that Chooses to Include . Join us.

The following list of organizations are integral collaborators and supporters to the movement of inclusive schools; U.S. Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education American School Counselors Association (ASCA) Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) Council of the Great City Schools National American Indian/Alaska Native Head Start Collaboration Office National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) & National Student Council (NatStuCo) National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Federation of State high School Associations (NFHS) National Head Start Association National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAA) NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation The Special Olympics U.S. Youth Ambassadors are a group of 28 youth leaders with and without intellectual disabilities who are striving to make the nation a more inclusive place for all.

These youth leaders act as advocates, share stories, and demonstrate the values of Inclusive Youth Leadership across the country. Through training, engagement, and activation at the national level, U.S. Youth Ambassadors are strong leaders of the Unified Generation.

National Education Leaders Network Special Olympics Unified Champion School’s National Education Leaders Network (NELN) is made up of nearly two dozen leaders in special education, research, social equity, and education leadership. The NELN will work to accelerate the UCS strategy by providing insights, direction, opportunities, and access to national education conversations.

This network offers refreshing outlooks and we look forward to their expertise and guidance. The leadership appointment is part of a comprehensive nomination process that occurs every three years. Are you ready to take the next step and become a Unified Champion School?

Contact us at GenerationUnified. org/Contact What Makes A Unified Champion School Our work aims to empower young people, educators, coaches, and families as leaders for inclusion, starting in their local schools and communities around the world. Inclusive Youth Leadership Opportunities for youth with and without intellectual disabilities to become agents of change within their school, community, and state.

An important feature of creating a socially inclusive school climate is engaging the entire school community in the process. Students develop exceptional athletic skills while forming friendships, fostering respect for each other, and becoming leaders on and off the court. Unified Schools Resources Find a collection of tools to assist students, teachers, and State Programs in promoting Unified Schools in their communities.

Inclusion is on the playing field; in your school; starts with you. #UNIFIEDGENERATION Is Your School Up for the Challenge? Schools demonstrate commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 standards of excellence to receive national banner recognition.