Youth & Schools
The Special Olympics Europe Eurasia team works to develop schools across our region as hubs for community inclusion. Sports is the starting point. We aim for inclusion on the sports field, spreading to inclusion off the field, in the classroom and in the local community.
Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools
Our main tool to achieve this is the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® (UCS) programme. The driving activity within the schools framework is Special Olympics Unified Sports® paired with the Youth Leadership Programme.
This programme supports youth in taking on responsibility for making their schools and communities a more welcoming and inclusive place for all.
UCS programming is thriving in our region and we are proud that, due to its outstanding work in this area, Special Olympics Romania has achieved UCS "Regional Hub of Excellence" status.
This programme supports youth in taking on responsibility for making their schools and communities a more welcoming and inclusive place for all.
UCS programming is thriving in our region and we are proud that, due to its outstanding work in this area, Special Olympics Romania has achieved UCS "Regional Hub of Excellence" status.
SOEE Schools and Youth projects and initiatives
Between 2021 and 2024, almost 55,000 youths in our region were engaged through youth and schools-focused Play Unified: Learn Unified projects supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) and implemented in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Greece. These initiatives fostered best practices in Unified Schools programming.
Through the support from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UCS projects expanded across Romania, Poland and Slovakia between 2020 and 2024, impacting over 340 schools and almost 165,000 youths. This support for UCS globally continues into the coming years.
Our youth and schools work will be supported by the Bezos Family Foundation which is partnering with Special Olympics to drive youth leadership and schools work forward globally from 2025 to 2029.
Through the support from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UCS projects expanded across Romania, Poland and Slovakia between 2020 and 2024, impacting over 340 schools and almost 165,000 youths. This support for UCS globally continues into the coming years.
Our youth and schools work will be supported by the Bezos Family Foundation which is partnering with Special Olympics to drive youth leadership and schools work forward globally from 2025 to 2029.