December Impact on Inclusion Award: Farmington High School
The school recognized for their inclusive efforts has implemented three different Unified Sports within their school, has participated in two state-level events, and has created a welcoming environment for all students. The December Impact on Inclusion award winner is Farmington High School! Farmington High School liaison, Maegan Shreve, explains how inclusion has made an impact on the school and students.
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Since applying to become a Unified Champions School, we have competed in Unified Bowling on the area level, UCS Unified Bowling, and traveled to Little Rock for State Bowling. We also just returned from competing in Unified Bocce at our first ever Unified Sports Fall Games. Now we have started practices for our Unified Basketball team.Unified Champions Schools has created new opportunities for our students, offering experiences they might not have had otherwise. During Unified Sports Fall Games, students had the opportunity to eat at Marketplace Grill for the first time and hang out by the pool.
Our Unified team is also going to be recognized at the High School Semi-finals State Football game on Friday night for their accomplishments. Then they are going to gather together in the stands with the other students to cheer on our football team.
We have also established a Unified Club that has provided a space where all students are welcome. The club has planned a Halloween fundraising event where they worked together to set up a concession stand at the school's Haunted House. They planned a community service project and adopted a cardinal from our Cardinal Tree. Once we returned from Thanksgiving break, they gathered together to wrap the gifts. The club will complete the Unified monthly challenge for December and are making plans to participate in Polar Plunge.
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About Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools®:
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.
If you would like your school to get involved with Unified Champion Schools, reach out to Jennifer Edwards.
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Since applying to become a Unified Champions School, we have competed in Unified Bowling on the area level, UCS Unified Bowling, and traveled to Little Rock for State Bowling. We also just returned from competing in Unified Bocce at our first ever Unified Sports Fall Games. Now we have started practices for our Unified Basketball team.Unified Champions Schools has created new opportunities for our students, offering experiences they might not have had otherwise. During Unified Sports Fall Games, students had the opportunity to eat at Marketplace Grill for the first time and hang out by the pool.
Our Unified team is also going to be recognized at the High School Semi-finals State Football game on Friday night for their accomplishments. Then they are going to gather together in the stands with the other students to cheer on our football team.
We have also established a Unified Club that has provided a space where all students are welcome. The club has planned a Halloween fundraising event where they worked together to set up a concession stand at the school's Haunted House. They planned a community service project and adopted a cardinal from our Cardinal Tree. Once we returned from Thanksgiving break, they gathered together to wrap the gifts. The club will complete the Unified monthly challenge for December and are making plans to participate in Polar Plunge.
____________________
About Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools®:
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.
If you would like your school to get involved with Unified Champion Schools, reach out to Jennifer Edwards.
Published December 2024
