On a day full of inclusion, education and sport, Sports Illustrated covered the ceremony when Bush Hill Elementary School in Alexandria, VA was named an Unified Champion School by Special Olympics. SI shared the excitement in an article titled Virginia School Earns National Honor for Inclusion Through Special Olympics Program.
The following is an excerpt.
It was a special Thursday morning for Bush Hill Elementary School in Alexandria, as the school was named a National Unified Champion School by Special Olympics. It's the second time Bush Hill has been named a banner school by the organization.
"It's really exciting," said Bush Hill principal Mary Duffy. "We're just so proud of our students, our staff, and our whole school community."
The Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® (SOUCS) program is a strategy for schools from Pre-K through university that intentionally promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create inclusive school environments.
The SOUCS program has existed since 2008 and is generally supported by the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education.
The article also quoted from Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver, Ph.D. and ESPN senior writer and college football reporter Heather Dinich, David Thomason, President and CEO of Special Olympics Virginia, and Andrea Cahn, Senior Vice President of Unified Champion Schools at Special Olympics North America.
