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Global Unified Schools

Two Unified players giving one another a high-5 on the field.
Special Olympics Unified Schools is defined as a pre-school, primary school, secondary school, college or university offering Unified Sports opportunities to its students all across the globe.

Unified 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.

To Build Back Better, Build Back More Inclusive

The Unified Champion Schools guide, “To Build Back Better, Build Back Inclusive” covers important learnings from the UCS program in order to help guide educators across a variety of school settings as they navigate unprecedented times.

Unified Sports

Unified Sports Guide for Schools and Youth in English (PDF)

This short guide provides ten steps to starting Unified Sports in a school. Guide available in English French, Chinese and Spanish. French | Chinese | Spanish

Facilitator's Guide in Spanish (PDF)

Special Olympics Latin America School Guide

Secondary School Guide in Spanish (PDF)

Special Olympics Latin America School Guide

Primary School Guide in Spanish (PDF)

Special Olympics Latin America School Guide

Branding

Marketing and Communications

Special Olympics Brand

Complete guide to branding for Special Olympics globally and by campaign.

BEST PRACTICES

This section will provide resources, templates, sample forms, and other necessary tools for our programs participating in the SNF Unified Schools program.

Outreach Letter

Letterhead to new School Partner with Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Special Olympics logo; signed by Soeren Palumbo.

Unified Schools Toolkit

See an example of how to develop a progression and best practice process for developing your own Unified Schools toolkit.

Unified Mentor Schools

An example of how to create mentorship. Special Olympics Serbia took already established Unified Schools (made up of Unified Sports clubs and schools) and had them act as role models to share their experiences with potential new schools.

Government Partnerships (PPTX)

See an example of how Special Olympics Kenya formed partnerships with multiple government agencies that directly impacted the expansion of Unified Schools.

Strategic Partnerships Presentation (PPTX)

In this resource, you will find examples and strategies behind creating a partnership model with local municipalities and identify ways to best recruit students with and without intellectual disabilities. Partnership Agreement Example | Proposal Example

SIBLING ENGAGEMENT

Families

Sibling Engagement

Siblings are connectors of three groups central to our movement: athletes, families and youth. Through Special Olympics, siblings can find a supportive community, a platform to share their experiences, and an opportunity to develop as leaders. This section will provide resources for youth-age siblings of individuals with intellectual disabilities. 

GLOBAL YOUTH PLAN

2017-2020 (PDF)

The Global Youth plan guides our efforts to engage youth around the world.

One-Pager (PDF)

One-Pager (PDF): The five objectives of the Special Olympics Global Youth Plan are depicted here.