Harpeth High School, a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, was presented with a national banner on March 9 for its efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities.
Harpeth received this honor as a result of meeting national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy and respect.
Harpeth is amongst a select number of schools to receive this distinction. During an assembly, the school was presented with a banner to hang in their school and be included on a list of other schools around the country who have achieved this distinguished status.
The assembly also featured a a basketball game between Harpeth’s Unified team and traditional team. The Unified team won 50-39.
Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools is a strategy for schools that intentionally promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments, utilizing three interconnected components: Special Olympics Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership and whole school engagement.
Harpeth is also home to two of 30 nationwide Special Olympics U.S. Youth Ambassadors: Calli Copeland and Haley Romines.
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.