Gas City, Ind. — Special Olympics Indiana and Grant County Special Education Co-op are working
together this school year to engage students in activities designed to promote school communities
where young people are agents of change—fostering respect, dignity, and advocacy for people with
intellectual disabilities. Through this program, known as Unified Champion Schools, children of all
abilities are provided opportunities to develop self-confidence and social skills while learning the
fundamentals necessary for future participation in Unified Sports® training and competition.
Grant County Special Education Co-op is among hundreds of preschools, elementary, middle, and high
schools across the state to embrace Special Olympics’ innovative approach to improving social
inclusion while simultaneously developing motor skills through curricula which aligns with Indiana State
educational standards. More than 10,000 Indiana students have participated in the program during the
2017-2018 school year.
The annual culmination of all Unified Champion Schools programs is one or more Unified Game Day,
held each spring and featuring a Special Olympics-style competition in a variety of unified track and
field events. Grant County Special Education Co-op will host its Game Day May 10, 2018 at
Mississinewa High School.
“Indiana has been recognized as a national leader in the realm of Special Olympics’ Unified Sports®
and social inclusion initiatives, and it’s thanks in large part to the support of faculty, administrators, and
students in hundreds of schools throughout the state,” said Special Olympics Indiana President and
CEO Jeff Mohler. “The Special Olympics movement is still about sports—but it’s also about changing
the way the world sees people with intellectual disabilities by targeting younger generations through
programs like Unified Champion Schools.”
According to Lisa Graham, Director of Grant County Special Education Co-op, Marion Community
Schools began participating two years ago and was joined by Mississinewa Community Schools last
year.. This was so successful that all five districts in the county are now able to participate together
much like an athletic conference or Grant 4 type competition.
More than 700 athletes from Grant County in grades Pre-K through 8th are expected to participate in
this year’s event. The preschool students will be competing at their local schools while the older
students will be together on May 10th. The day will begin at 9:30 am. Parents and supporters are
invited to attend the event, which also will include an opening ceremony featuring a Law Enforcement
Torch Run by officers from the Gas City Police Department and firemen from the Gas City Volunteer
Fire Department.
Special Olympics Indiana’s Unified Champion Schools initiatives are supported in part by the Indiana
Council of Administrators of Special Education (ICASE), the Indiana Middle Level Education
Association (IMLEA), and — through a partnership known as Champions Together — the Indiana High
School Athletic Association (IHSAA).
Learn more about Unified Champion Schools by visiting
www.specialolympics.org/unified-champion-schools. For more information about the implementation of
these programs in Indiana schools, contact state Director of Unified Champion Schools Mark Booth at
mbooth@soindiana.org.
ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS INDIANA
Special Olympics Indiana is a not-for-profit organization that provides year-round sports training and
athletic competition in more than 20 Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual
disabilities, reaching more than 14,000 athletes across Indiana. The organization receives no federal or
state appropriated funds, is not a United Way agency, and relies entirely on corporate, civic and
individual donations. For more information about Special Olympics Indiana, call (317) 328-2000 or visit
www.soindiana.org.
ABOUT UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS
Special Olympics’ Unified Champion Schools program is defined as a pre-school, primary school,
secondary school, college, or university offering Unified Sports® opportunities to its students across the
Special Olympics Indiana
6200 Technology Center Drive, Suite 105, Indianapolis, IN 46278 Tel + 1 800 742 0612 or + 1 317 328 2000 Fax + 1 317 328 2018
www.soindiana.org Email information@soindiana.org Facebook facebook.com/soindiana Twitter @SOIndiana
Created by the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation for the benefit of persons with intellectual disabilities.
world. Unified Champion Schools programming is designed to facilitate Special Olympics Unified
Sports®, provide classroom and community experiences that reduce bullying and exclusion, promote
healthy activities, combat stereotypes and negative attitudes, eliminate hurtful language in schools, and
engage young people in activities that lead to improved behavior and school climate.
CONTACT: Nathan Barnes, Manager of Grants & Communication
nbarnes@soindiana.org | (317) 328-2008
Lisa Graham, Director Grant County Special Education Co-op
lisa_graham@olemiss.k12.in.us/765.677.4456
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