Special Olympics BC Unified Champion Schools®
Play Unified. Learn Unified. Live Unified.
Special Olympics BC is dedicated to working with schools and districts across the province to build school communities that include and empower students with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics BC Unified Champion Schools® programs in B.C. offer a unique combination of sports, education, and leadership activities to equip young people with tools and training to create climates of acceptance and inclusion throughout their sports, classrooms, and whole schools.
Special Olympics BC Unified Champion Schools activities and opportunities are proven to reduce bullying and exclusion, promote healthy activity and interactions, combat stereotypes and stigma, and engage students and staff in sport and social activities that lead to personal growth.
The program creates school climates where students with disabilities feel welcome and routinely included equally in all activities, opportunities, and functions.
Special Olympics BC Unified Champion Schools® have the option of offering up to three types of programming. Special Olympics BC provides ready-made resources to help educators, staff, students, and champions run each type of programming in ways that best suit each individual school.
Sport programming
1. Special Olympics BC Unified Sports® where students with and without intellectual disabilities build inclusive communities and attitudes by training and competing together
2. Traditional Special Olympics programming where students with intellectual disabilities show their abilities on the fields of play
Whole-school engagement with inclusion programming
Inclusive youth leadership programming
There are many different ways to nurture youth leadership in the school setting. Ensuring that various leadership roles are inclusive to all students who have ranging skill sets, abilities, and perspectives will greatly enhance efforts to create and sustain change within the school and the community.
Find out more today to play unified and change lives, including yours!