National School Recognition Program

A Special Olympics Unified Champion School® demonstrating commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 standards of excellence receives national banner recognition.

A Special Olympics Unified Champion School has an inclusive school climate and exudes a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff. A Unified Champion School receiving national banner recognition is one that has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community.

The primary activities within these standards include: Special Olympics Unified Sports® (where students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates), Inclusive Youth Leadership and Whole-School Engagement. Banner Unified Champion Schools should also be able to demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future.

The expectation of this recognition is that the 10 standards are continuously being met, year after year. To ensure this sustainability, schools reapply for banner status every 4 years.
 
The National Recognition Program application is currently closed. The next cycle will open in Spring 2026.

During the application review process, school applications will be reviewed in two stages: first by state Program staff and then by a national Certifying Body of key educational leaders. Learn more about the Certifying Body members.

• ARKANSAS: Pea Ridge High School, Prairie Grove High School, Siloam Springs Middle School
• ARIZONA: Agua Fria High School, Buckeye Union High School, Desert Edge High School, Heritage Middle School, Millennium High School, Raymond S. Kellis High School, Verrado High School
• COLORADO: George Washington High School, Legacy High School, Littleton High School, Mountain View High School, Thunder Ridge High School
• CONNECTICUT: Bunnell High School, Derby High School, John F Kennedy Middle School, Lewis S. Mills High School, Newtown High School, North Haven High School, Oxford High School, Waterford High School
• DC: Bunker Hill Elementary School, F.W. Ballou High School, Garfield Elementary School, H.D. Woodson High School
• DELAWARE: Heritage Elementary School, Lake Forest South Elementary, Mote Elementary School, Phillis Wheatley Elementary School
• FLORIDA: Durant High School, Florida State University, Fort Myers High School, Gerald Adams Elementary, Love Grove Elementary School, Manatee Bay Elementary, Marathon Middle High School, Pembroke Pines Elementary School, Rockway Middle School, Sterling Park Elementary, West Orange High School
• GEORGIA: Griffin Middle School
• HAWAII: Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School
• IOWA: Decorah High School, Dubuque Eisenhower Elementary School, Spirit Lake High School, Spirit Lake Middle School, University of Iowa
• ILLINOIS: Hanover Highlands Elementary School, Limestone Community High School, Margaret Mead Jr. High, North Boone High School
• INDIANA: Bedford North Lawrence High School, DeKalb High School, Evansville North High School, Park Elementary School, Plainfield Community Middle School
• KANSAS: Fredonia Junior Senior High School, Lawrence Free State High School, Olathe East High School
• MAINE: Falmouth High School, Fryeburg Academy, Gardiner Area High School, Gray New Gloucester High School, Lake Region Middle School, Morse High School, Oceanside High School, Winslow High School, Yarmouth Elementary School
• MARYLAND: Armistead Gardens School, Arundel High School, Glen Burnie High School, Governor Thomas Johnson High School, Old Mill Middle South
• MASSACHUSETTS: Bourne High School, Brighton High School, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Gardner Elementary School, Hingham High School, John J. Ahern Middle School, Joseph Case High School, Mabelle M. Burrell Elementary School, Mario Umana Academy K-8, Millbury Memorial Jr/Sr High School, Old Rochester Regional High School, Plymouth South High School, Southwick Regional School, Triton Regional High School, Trotter K-6, Warren Prescott K-8 School, Westport Elementary School
• MICHIGAN: Avondale High School, Handy Middle School, Holland Christian High School, Northville High School, Novi High School, University of Michigan, Walled Lake Central High School, Waverly High School
• MINNESOTA: Cloquet High School, Fairmont Junior Senior High School, Osseo Senior High School, Rochester Mayo High School, Roosevelt High School
• MISSOURI: Lindbergh High School
• MONTANA: Bozeman High School, Gallatin High School
• NEBRASKA: Ackerman Elementary School, Anderson Grove Elementary School, Disney Elementary School, Irving Middle School, Lewis and Clark Middle School, Millard South High School, Rockwell Elementary School, Rohwer Elementary School
• NEVADA: Victoria Fertitta Middle School
• NEW HAMPSHIRE: Winnacunnet High School
• NEW JERSEY: Maple Road Elementary School, Montgomery High School, Voorhees High School, West Milford High School
• NEW MEXICO: Centennial High School, Collet Park Elementary School, Rio Rancho Middle School
• NEW YORK: Amsterdam High School, Broadalbin-Perth High School, Cattaraugus Little Valley High School, Center Moriches High School, Lake George Jr./Sr. High School, Patchogue-Medford High School, RONDOUT Valley High School, Scotia Glenville High School, Shaker High School, The Wheatley School
• NORTH CAROLINA: Beverly Woods Elementary School, Bunn Middle School, Charles P. Murray Middle School, Cramerton Middle School, Duke University, Francis Bradley Middle School, Idlewild Elementary, Swansboro High School
• NORTH DAKOTA: Mandan High School
• NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: Hollister High School
• OHIO: Beatty Park Elementary School, Indian Creek High School, Indian Hill High School, The Ohio State University-Main Campus
• OKLAHOMA: Catoosa High School, Comanche High School, Creekwood Early Childhood Center, Edmond Santa Fe High School, Idabel High School, Jay High School, Oklahoma State University, Piedmont High School
• OREGON: McNary High School, North Salem High School, Sumpter Elementary, Tualatin High School, Weddle Elementary
• PENNSYLVANIA: Armstrong Jr/Sr High School, Baldwin High School, Perkiomen Valley High School, Plum Senior High School, Souderton Area High School
• RHODE ISLAND: Narragansett Elementary School, North Kingstown High School, North Smithfield Middle School, Oakland Beach Elementary School, Ponaganset High School
• SOUTH CAROLINA: Gold Hill Middle School, Pelion High School, Rocky Creek Elementary School, Sandhills Elementary School
• SOUTH DAKOTA: Augustana University, Castlewood School
• SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Carlsbad High School, Clairemont High School, John H. Francis Polytechnic Senior High School, Mission Viejo High School, Newbury Park High School, Pacifica High School, Palmquist Elementary School, Poway High School, Robinson Elementary, Thompson Middle School, Thousand Oaks High School, Trabuco Hills High School, Westlake High School
• TENNESSEE: Summit High School
• TEXAS: Burkburnett Middle School, Frenship High School, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University, Wylie High School-Abilene
• UTAH: Bountiful High School, Brighton High School, Clearfield High School, Daybreak Elementary School, Monte Vista Elementary, Salem Hills High School, Springville High School
• VERMONT: Albert D Lawton School, Champlain Valley Union High School
• VIRGINIA: Bush Hill Elementary School, Carter G. Woodson High School, George C Marshall High School, Monacan High School, Osbourn High School
• WASHINGTON: Kentwood High School, Peninsula High School, University of Washington – Seattle
• WEST VIRGINIA: Hedgesville High School, Musselman High School, Spring Mills High School
• WISCONSIN: Bay View Middle School, St. Croix Central Middle School, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Washington High School of Information Technology