Project UNIFY® News | WINTER 2014
Welcome to Special Olympics Virginia's Project UNIFY® News!  

This quarterly newsletter for educators and school administrators will highlight success stories from Project UNIFY® schools.


Special Olympics Project UNIFY® uses sports to develop school communities where youth are agents of change - fostering respect, dignity and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities.  Find out more about our school based programs!
Brain Week Assembly
Celebrating abilities of all students
O.B. Gates Elementary in Chesterfield County services a diverse group of students - children with hearing impairments, severe and mild intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injuries and autism to name a few categories. Celebrating the abilities of all its students is a priority for the staff.

Sheila Dunn, Gates Elementary librarian, said: "When our students leave Gates Elementary, they will leave with an understanding of what it means to accept others for their differences, to embrace others and encourage their differences, and to include others in their lives no matter what their differences are."

Game of Respect
Drawing huge crowds and support for accepting people with intellectual disabilities
It takes one person to transform a school. Brandon Wakefield, a physical education teacher, is that person at Warren County High School in Front Royal. As the parent of a toddler with Down syndrome, Brandon didn't want to wait until his son was old enough to participate in Special Olympics before joining the movement. Brandon realized he could make a difference right now at his school.

In This Issue
Brain Week Assembly
Game of Respect
Project UNIFY® Resources
Learn more about how your school can join the Project UNIFY® movement! Contact us:

Val Reinford
Vice President,
Local Program Services
vreinford@specialolympicsva.org
800-932-4653 ext. 3036

 

Resources

The Spread the Word to End the Word campaign invites people to pledge to stop saying the R-word as a starting point to develop more accepting attitudes and communities.

Our Get Into It curriculum features online age-appropriate resources including lessons, activities, athlete stories, and supplemental materials for grades K - 12.

Special Olympics Unified Sports® include people with and without intellectual disabilities together on sports teams, breaking down stereotypes  - in a really fun way!