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 2027.

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.

• ALASKA: Chugiak High School
• ARIZONA: Amphitheater High School, Chino Valley High School, Copper Canyon High School, Corona del Sol High School, George Washington Carver Elementary School, Independence High School, Ironwood High School, Mountain View High School, Skyline High School, Sunrise Mountain High School, Trevor Browne High School, West Point High School, Westview High School
• ARKANSAS: Farmington High School, Pine Haven Elementary School, Siloam Springs Intermediate School
• COLORADO: Araphahoe High School, Arrowhead Elementary, Brighton High School, Denver North High School, Eaglecrest High School, Loveland High School, Mitchell High School, Northglenn Middle School, Pine Creek High School, Poudre High School, Sabin World School, Silver Creek High School, Timber Trail Elementary School, Trail Ridge Middle School, Valley High School, Vista Peak Preparatory High School
• CONNECTICUT: Berlin High School, Broadview Middle School, Farmington High School, Frank Ward Strong Middle School, Joseph A. Foran High School, New Fairfield High School, Newtown Middle School, Nonnewaug High School, Old Saybrook Middle School, Ridgefield High School, Simsbury High School, Watertown High School
• DELAWARE: Appoquinimink High School, Clayton Elementary School, Cooke Elementary, Richardson Park Elementary School, Smyrna High School, Southern Elementary, Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center
• FLORIDA: Bennett Elementary, Country Isles Elementary School, Cypress Creek High School, Eisenhower Middle School, Geneva Elementary School, Homestead Senior High School, Margate Elementary School, Miramar High School, Pine Ridge Elementary School, Redland Middle School, Sawgrass Elementary School, Thrive Academy, University of Florida
• IDAHO: Mountain View High School
• ILLINOIS: Anne Fox Elementary School, Helen Keller Junior High, Homewood Flossmoor High School, Mount Carmel High School/Ray Graham Training Center, Pleasant Plains Middle School
• INDIANA: Arsenal Technical High School, Bloomington High School North, East Noble High School, Vincennes Lincoln High School
• IOWA: Southview Middle School
• KANSAS: Bonner Springs High School, Tonganoxie High School
• MAINE: Belfast Area High School, Brunswick High School, Houlton High School, Mt. Blue High School
• MARYLAND: Annapolis High School, Kent Island High School, North County High School, Northeast Middle School
• MASSACHUSETTS: Auburn High School, Boston Green Academy, Charlestown High School, Curtis Middle School, Fairhaven High School, Franklin High School, Freeman Kennedy School, Joseph Case Junior High School, Joseph G Luther Elementary School, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Malden High School, Mather Elementary School, North Reading High School, Salem High School, Scituate High School
• MICHIGAN: Comstock Park High School, Eastpointe High School, Haslett High School, Wyoming High School
• MINNESOTA: Minnetonka Middle School West
• MISSISSIPPI: Mississippi State University
• MISSOURI: Nixa High School, Ste. Genevieve High School, Webb City High School, West Plains High School, Wright City High School
• MONTANA: Capital High School, Carroll College, Elysian Elementary School, Elysian Middle School, GFPS Early Learning Family Center
• NEBRASKA: Bellevue East High School, Elkhorn High School, Elkhorn North High School, Elkhorn South High School, Hillside Elementary, La Vista Middle School, LeMay Elementary School, Liberty Middle School, Lincoln Southeast High School, Lincoln Southwest High School, Loveland Elementary, Oakdale Elementary, Paddock Road Elementary, Papillion La Vista High School, Papillion La Vista South High School, Prairie Lane Elementary, Rockbrook Elementary, Shelby Rising City Elementary School, Shelby Rising City High School, Sunset Hills Elementary, Swanson Elementary, Westbrook Elementary, Westgate Elementary, Westside High School, Westside Middle School, Westview High School, Wheeler Elementary
• NEW HAMPSHIRE: Dover High School, Londonderry High School
• NEW JERSEY: Benjamin Franklin Middle School, Burlington Township Middle School, Carl H. Kumpf Middle School, Mastery Charter Cramer HIll, North Hunterdon High School, Old Bridge High School, Ramsey High School, Ridgewood High School
• NEW YORK: Bethlehem Central High School, Brockport High School, Byram Hills High School, Cicero-North Syracuse High School, Clarence High School, Connetquot High School, Corning-Painted Post High School, Eden High School, Jericho High School, Lancaster High School, Longwood High School, Mamaroneck High School, Mohonasen High School, Queensbury High School
• NORTH CAROLINA: A.L. Brown High School, Apex Friendship High School, Charles B. Aycock High School, East Mecklenburg High School, Heide Trask High School, Metro School, North Johnston High School, Rockingham County High School, Sycamore Creek Elementary School, Trinity Middle School
• NORTH DAKOTA: Dickinson High School, Legacy High School
• NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: Montgomery Jr/Sr High School, Pittsburg High School, Rosemont High School, Roseville High School, Stoneman Elementary School
• OHIO: Harrison Junior School
• OKLAHOMA: Jenks High School, Mustang High School, Owasso Seventh Grade Center, Tuttle High School, William R Teague Elementary, Yukon High School
• OREGON: Bend Senior High School, Forest Grove High School, Joseph Gale Elementary, Liberty High School, Pacific University, Sisters High School
• PENNSYLVANIA: Abington Heights High School, General McLane High School, Governor Mifflin High School, North Penn High School, Palisades High School, Shenango Area High School
• PUERTO RICO: Julio Víctor Guzman
• RHODE ISLAND: Agnes B. Hennessey Elementary, Bryant University, Exeter-West Greenwich Senior High School, Lincoln High School, Norwood School, Warwick Veterans Memorial Middle School
• SOUTH CAROLINA: Banks Trail Middle School, Brookland-Cayce High School, Inman Intermediate School, Newberry High School, Northwest Middle School, Pelion Elementary School, Red Bank Elementary School, Saluda River Academy for the Arts, Sangaree Middle School, Swansea High School, Walhalla Elementary School
• SOUTH DAKOTA: Harrisburg High School, Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School
• SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: A L Gauldin Elementary School, Alta Murrieta Elementary School, Chaparral High School, Doty Middle School, Griffiths Middle School, Joshua Tree Elementary School, Monte Vista Elementary, Ocean View High School, Olita Elementary School, Pacific High School, San Bernardino High School, Simi Valley High School, Temecula Valley High School, University of California Los Angeles, Vista Murrieta High School, Warm Springs Middle School, Warren High School, Yucca Valley High School
• TENNESSEE: Harpeth High School, Northview Senior Academy, West Ridge High School
• TEXAS: Harmony School of Innovation, Port Neches Groves High School, Southwest High School, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
• UTAH: Herriman High School, Mountain Crest High School, Olympus High School, Snow Canyon High School, South Jordan Middle School, West Jordan High School
• VERMONT: Brattleboro Union High School, Essex High School, Otter Valley Union Middle and High School
• VIRGINIA: Blacksburg High School, Bull Run Elementary School, Chantilly High School, Cosby High School, Dranesville Elementary, Gainesville High School, Goochland High School, Holman Middle School, James River High School, Kettle Run High School, Liberty High School, Mary Munford Elementary School, Menchville High School, Midlothian High School, Richmond High School for the Arts, Thomas Jefferson High School, Virginia Tech- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Woodbridge Senior High School
• WASHINGTON: Carriage Crest Elementary, Inglemoor High School, Lincoln High School, Marysville Getchell High School, Scenic Hill Elementary, Skyview High School
• WISCONSIN: Homestead High School, Pulaski Community Middle School, Riverside Elementary School
• WYOMING: Coyote Ridge Elementary School