North Reading High School made waves – literally – last year by becoming the first school in Massachusetts to host the Special Olympics mobile plunge unit, known as Bear Force One. The school rallied together to fundraise for Special Olympics MA, a cause that brings their community together and unites the students in the mission of inclusion. Unified Sports have played a transformative role in the school, promoting inclusion and teaching students the value of working with people of all abilities.  

At NRHS, the power of Unified Sports is seen in everyday interactions, whether they are walking down the hall or eating lunch in the cafeteria. Students now connect with peers they may have never engaged with before. Special needs students on the Unified team who were once less recognized, now walk the halls like superstars and are celebrated by their classmates for their contributions both on and off the court. Teachers and staff have noticed the way the program breaks down barriers, creating a more compassionate, understanding environment for everyone.

“As the principal, you've got this bigger picture of what are we doing? Are we doing the right thing? Are we making a difference?” Principal, Anthony Loprete said. “It’s very easy to write those things down but a lot harder to make them happen. The Unified experience is the action part of that.”

For them, the Polar Plunge was a way to show their dedication to their Unified program. By supporting this event, students challenged themselves to step outside their comfort zones while raising money for a cause that means so much to them.  

As the first school to host the mobile plunge unit, North Reading hopes to inspire others across Massachusetts to spread the mission of inclusion with similar events and programs.

“A big part of this is like we want these opportunities to be available for other schools that don't exactly have a strong unified program right now,” Unified Partner, Erin Hatton said, “because we've seen how much of an impact it can have on us and we want that for other schools too.”

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