U.S. Youth Ambassador Tajha walks the halls of her high school with fellow students.
inclusion weekly

What is a Unified Champion School?

Our new series “Inclusion Weekly”, follows our U.S. Youth Ambassadors as they explain everything you need to know about Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools. 

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Jenni and Jason smiling at the camera.

Jenni’s Moment

Jenni’s younger brother Jason has Down syndrome. Growing up, Jason was one of the first students with Down syndrome ...

Margot’s Moment

Margot works at Special Olympics International. While driven by the mission of the movement, she did not have a personal ...

Claude and Catherine Dayas-Tokoto sitting in their home looking into each other's eyes.

Catherine and Claude’s Moment

Catherine and Claude Dayas-Tokoto emigrated from Cameroon to the United States to provide a better life for their children including ...

Deran, a high school athletic director from North Carolina looks off into the distance.

Deran’s Moment

When Deran was younger, he had a childhood friend named Jenny, who had intellectual disabilities. When Deran received the news ...

Noah and his best friend Conrad hanging out.

Noah’s Moment

Growing up Noah and his brother Sam, who has intellectual disabilities, had a very estranged relationship. The brotherly bond Noah ...

Tajha, a US Youth Ambassador from Florida smiles for the camera while standing in front of a lake.

Tajha’s Moment

Tajha Ilerant from Immokalee HS in Florida lost both of her parents at a young age. With such tragedy in ...

Sidney and Britney a Unified pair from Hawaii smile for the camera.

Be The Change

Britney and Sidney from Special Olympics Hawaii attended the Youth Leadership Experience as part of the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games ...

Cody,a player on the Clovis North Unified soccer team posing for the camera.

Meet #33 – Cody

Cody is not just an awesome soccer player, he is an artist and a member of the Unified Generation. Clovis ...

Sydney, a player on the Clovis North Unified soccer team posing for the camera.

Meet #22 – Sydney

Sydney is one of the Captains of the Clovis North soccer team. Joining the team gave Sydney a sense of ...

Sean, a player on the Clovis North Unified soccer team posing for the camera.

Meet #25 – Sean

Sean always played sports growing up but he didn’t find his community until he joined the Clovis North Broncos. ...

Special Olympics athlete Daina Shilts looking pensively into the distance.

Daina’s Powerful Story

Daina Shilts was bullied, teased and excluded when she was in school. Through Special Olympics, she found her love of ...

Eddie Yarbrough smiling as he walks down the hallway of his high school.

Eddie Yarbrough: From Unified Champion Schools to the NFL

Eddie Yarbrough is a Defensive End for the Buffalo Bills. Before his professional career, Eddie was one of the founding ...

Kate DeCotis and a classmate sitting on the bus. Kate is smiling at the camera.

There is Nothing Kate Can’t Do

Through Kate, we can see what meaningful inclusion looks like from an early age. We see this through her friendshipwith ...

Loretta Claiborne smiling at the camera.

Loretta: Our Inspiration

When Loretta Claiborne was a young girl, she was isolated and worried about what her future would hold. As she ...

Two students about to high-five in a school gym.

Special Olympics Celebrates 50th Anniversary

First, Loretta Claiborne talks about her beginnings and the beginnings of Special Olympics. Second, Evan and Jay Hallberg exemplify the ...

Evan and Jay Hallberg walking down the hallway of Ponaganset High School.

Evan & Jay: Brothers

Evan and Jay Hallberg are brothers that go to Ponaganset High School. Through opportunities afforded by Unified Champion Schools, these ...