Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools activates youth with and without intellectual disabilities to come together as student leaders, athletes, and agents for inclusion within their school communities. Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools motivates all students to create environments full of respect, dignity, and advocacy for students with intellectual disabilities.
Request more information to become a Unified Champion School
MIAA and MASC Partnerships
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) works alongside Special Olympics Massachusetts to promote Unified Sports through the Unified Champion Schools Program. They are actively spreading the Unified Champion Schools mission throughout their 376 member schools. Assistant Directors of the MIAA, Richard Riley and James Peter state, “our goal is to encourage and assist any MIAA schools interested in a Unified Sports program.” Learn more about the MIAA!
The Massachusetts Association of Student Councils (MASC) has chosen to partner with Special Olympics Massachusetts to join us in advocating for and supporting the Unified Champion Schools Program. Learn more about the MASC!
Start a Unified Basketball or a Unified Track and Field program TODAY!
Surveys
We require all Unified Champion Schools to complete a mid and end of year survey to keep us informed on how your school is meeting the 3 components of Unified Sports, Youth Leadership and Whole School Engagement. Access to those surveys can be found below:
Criteria For Success
In order for your school to be an official Unified Champion School, you must demonstrate the following 3 components. Once your school has these components, you can apply to become a Unified Champion School. Please email Patti Doherty for more details.
- Athletes with and without intellectual disabilities train alongside each other as teammates to promote inclusion, acceptance, and respect.
- Teams in the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools Program will engage in competition that will highlight each athletes strengths and abilities, making competition challenging and fun for each participant.
- Sports we offer:
- Unified Basketball – Fall Season
- Unified Track and Field – Spring Season
- Unified Bocce – Fall and Winter Seasons (Contact your local MASC Student Council for more info)
- Students with and without intellectual disabilities will be given the opportunity to work together as leaders to advocate for inclusion and promote unified activities within the school and throughout the community.
- May include:
- Best Buddies (or a like program)
- National Honors Society
- Student Council
- Youth Activation Council – A committee of students who bridge together their schools with Special Olympics and Unified Champion Schools to create an inclusive atmosphere made up of students who act as agents of change within their communities and beyond. For athletes and unified partners to represent their schools and apply to join the state wide YAC, they can download the application Here.
Fans in the Stands
- Students will attend inclusive events to cheer on their peers who are competing in unified events
MASC Plunge
- Join the MASC in their epic plunge into icy cold Massachusetts water to support your local unified team. See pictures from the MASC Plunge!
School-Wide R-word Pledge
- Students with and without disabilities will hold events for and raise awareness on the harmful effects of the word “retard(ed)” as well as encouraging their peers to pledge to end the incorrect and hurtful use of the R-word. Learn more about the School-Wide R-word Pledge.
Respect/Pep Rally
- Students will hold a school wide rally to promote inclusion and to support their peers of all abilities.
Thank you to all of our 2020-2021 Unified Champion High Schools!
Schools in bold have been recognized as National Banner Schools.
| Agawam High School | Gardner High School | North Attleborough High School |
| Algonquin Regional High School | George R. Martin Elementary School | North Middlesex Regional High School |
| Amesbury High School | Grafton High School | North Reading High School |
| Andover High School | Greenfield High School | Northampton High School |
| Apponequet Regional High School | Greenlodge Elementary School | Northbridge High School |
| Ashland High School | Groton-Dunstable Regional HS | Norwood High School |
| Attleboro High School | Hampshire Reg. Middle and High School | Oakmont Regional High School |
| Auburn High School | Haverhill High School | Old Rochester Regional High School |
| Auburn Integrated Preschool | Hingham High School | Oldham Elementary School |
| Auburn Middle School | Holliston High School | Oliver Ames High School |
| Ayer-Shirley High School | Holyoke High School | Pakachoag Elementary School |
| Balch Elementary School | Hopkinton High School | Palmer High School |
| Barrett Russell ECC | Horace Mann Laboratory School | Parker Road Preschool |
| Bartlett High School | Hudson High School | Pembroke High School |
| Beckwith School | John F Kennedy Middle School | Pickering Middle School |
| Bedford High School | Joseph Case High School | Plymouth North High School |
| Bellingham High School | Joseph Case Jr High School | Plymouth South High School |
| Bennet Hemmenway Elementary School | King Philip Regional High School | Pollard Middle School |
| Berkley Middle School | Knox Trail Middle School | Prescott Elementary School |
| Bernardston Elementary School | Lawrence High School | Ralph C Mahar Regional School |
| Beverly High School | Leicester High School | Riverview School |
| Bird Middle School | Leominster High School | Rockland High School |
| Bourne High School | Lexington High School | Salem Early Childhood School |
| Breed Middle School | Lilja Elementary School | Salemwood School |
| Brennan Middle School | Linden Steam Academy | Samoset School |
| Brockton High School | Littleton High School | Sandwich High School |
| Brown Elementary | Lowell High School | Seekonk High School |
| Bryn Mawr Elementary School | Lunenburg High School | Sharon High School |
| Burncoat High School | Lynn Classical High School | Shepherd Hill High School |
| Callahan Elementary School | Lynn English High School | Shrewsbury High School |
| Cambridge Rindge and Latin | Lynn Vocational Technical High School | Silver Lake Regional High School |
| Canton High School | Malden High School | Somerset Berkley Regional High School |
| Carlton Innovation School | Mansfield High School | Southwick Regional School |
| Carver Middle/High School | Marblehead High School | St. Mark’s School |
| Chicopee Comprehensive High School | Marlborough High School | Swanson Road Intermediate School |
| Chicopee High School | Marshall Middle School | Tabor Academy |
| Cleveland Elementary School | Martha’s Vineyard High School | Taunton High School |
| Coakley Middle School | Melrose High School | Tewksbury High School |
| Concord Carlisle High School | Memorial Elementary | Thayer Academy |
| Danvers High School | Methuen High School | Uxbridge High School |
| Dartmouth High School | Middleboro High School | Wahconah Regional High School |
| David Prouty High School | Milford High School | Walpole High School |
| Dighton-Rehoboth High School | Millbury High School | Waltham High School |
| Dracut High School | Millis High School | Ware Jr Sr High School |
| Durfee High School | Milton High School | Wareham High School |
| Dutile Elementary | Minnechaug Regional High School | Wellesley High School |
| Duxbury High School | Monomoy Regional High School | West Intermediate School |
| East Brookfield Elementary School | Monson High School | Westborough High School |
| Edward F Leddy Preschool | Mount Greylock Reg Middle High School | Westfield High School |
| Elmwood Street School | Murdock Middle High School | Westwood High School |
| Fairhaven High School | Nashoba Regional High School | Weymouth High School |
| Falmouth High School | Natick High School | Whitman-Hanson Regional H.S. |
| Ferryway School | Natick Pre-School | Willett Early Childhood Center |
| Fitchburg High School | Needham High School | Wilmington High School |
| Forestdale School | Newton North High School | Wilson Middle School |
| Framingham High School | Newton South High School | Wire Village School |
| Franklin High School | Nipmuc Regional High School | Witchcraft Heights Elementary |
| North Andover High School | Worcester Technical High School |