Criteria For Success
In order for your school to be an official Unified Champion School, you must demonstrate the following 3 components in the tabs below. Once your school has these components in place, you can apply to become a Unified Champion School by filling out the UCS Application Form
Please complete the application and submit to Eric Archambault who will then be able to work with you on next steps for getting your school started!
Unified Sports
- Provide opportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities to participate in a variety of fitness and sports activities alongside one another.
- Options to Implement at Your School:
- Young Athletes (grades K-2)
- Developmental Sports (grades 3-5)
- Unified Physical Education
- For other great examples inclusive gross motor education and sports at the Pre-K and Elementary level, please check out the Inclusive Sports and Fitness section of the Elementary School Playbook.
- If you’d like to participate with one of our community based Young Athletes or Developmental Sports programs, please view our program listings on the Get Involved as an Athlete page of our website.
Youth Leadership
- Encourage students with and without intellectual disabilities to take on leading roles as they work with adults in the school to create a socially inclusive environment through sports and other activities.
- Options to Implement at Your School:
- Best Buddies (or a like program)
- Student Council
- Unified Young Readers Club
- Student Led Activities and Warm-Ups
- Leadership Lunches
- For other great examples of inclusive youth leadership at the Pre-K and Elementary level, please check out the Inclusive Youth Leadership section of the Elementary School Playbook.
Whole School Engagement
- Opportunities are awareness and education activities that promote respect and social inclusion and reach the majority of students and school staff members.
- Options to Implement at Your School:
- Respect Campaigns
- Kindness Week
- Unified Pep Rallies
- Assemblies
- Fans in the Stands
- Morning Announcements
- Poster Contests
- For other great examples of Advocacy and Whole School Engagement at the Pre-K and Elementary level, please check out the Whole School Engagement section of the Elementary School Playbook.