Washington, D.C.—Dec. 7, 2022—Hasbro, Inc., a global branded entertainment leader, and Special Olympics are proud to continue to celebrate the inclusion efforts in schools across the nation. Since 2016, Hasbro and Special Olympics have partnered in support of the Unified Champion Schools program that creates sports, leadership, and whole school engagement opportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities. Hasbro directly supports programming in the United States by honoring several National Banner Schools each year with special celebrations and subgrants dedicated to school improvement. To date, approximately 20 schools and thousands of students have been impacted by the collaboration.
National Banner Schools have met the 10 standards of excellence for inclusion, as outlined by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community. Each school’s application is reviewed by its Special Olympics Program, as well as a National Certifying Body of key leaders in the educational community. During the 2022 – 2023 school year, Hasbro is supporting four National Banner Schools: East Greenwich High School (Rhode Island), Joseph Case Junior High School (Massachusetts), Copper King Elementary School (Arizona), and Crayton Middle School (South Carolina).
The first celebration of the school year occurs on Hasbro’s 10th annual Global Day of Joy, a company-wide day of service. On December 7th, nearly a dozen members of the Hasbro Rhode Island team will volunteer at the celebration for Joseph Case Junior High School in Swansea, Massachusetts. Throughout the day, their team will recognize students, teachers, and administrators for their incredible efforts. In addition, each student in attendance will receive a Hasbro toy or game.
"At Hasbro, our annual Global Day of Joy brings our entire company together in a 24-hour period to give back to our local communities, including promoting a culture of inclusion,” said Kathrin Belliveau, EVP & Chief Purpose Officer, Hasbro. “On this 10th Global Day of Joy anniversary, we’re honored to partner with Special Olympics in their mission to provide meaningful opportunities to individuals with and without intellectual disabilities, and congratulate the National Banner Schools on their inclusion accomplishments.”
“With our shared focus on energizing and highlighting youth leadership across the United States, this partnership with Hasbro allows us to continue to empower young people who use their compassion for good and to celebrate the kindness of those who serve as leaders of the Unified Generation. Hasbro continuously demonstrates its support of the creation of inclusive communities and schools, and we are grateful for another year to join forces as we recognize the efforts and resiliency of educators and their students.”
Learn more about the Hasbro and Special Olympics partnership.
About Hasbro
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global branded entertainment leader whose mission is to entertain and connect generations of fans through the wonder of storytelling and exhilaration of play. Hasbro delivers engaging brand experiences for global audiences through gaming, consumer products and entertainment, with a portfolio of iconic brands including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, Hasbro Gaming, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands.
Hasbro is guided by our Purpose to create joy and community for all people around the world, one game, one toy, one story at a time. For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute and one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50. For more information, visit corporate.hasbro.com.
© 2022 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
About the Unified Champion Schools® Program
The Unified Champion Schools® program is an initiative in 8,000 schools Pre-K through university across the U.S. that intentionally promotes social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities through Unified Sports® programming, inclusive youth leadership opportunities, and whole school engagement. The three-component model offers a unique combination of effective activities that equip young people with the knowledge, skills, tools and training to create classrooms and school climates of acceptance, respect, and meaningful inclusion. These are school climates where students with disabilities feel welcome and are routinely included in—and feel a part of—all activities, opportunities, and functions. The Unified Champion Schools program is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. Engage with us on: Instagram,Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, andYouTube. Learn more at GenerationUnified.org.
About Special Olympics
Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With more than six million athletes and Unified Sports partners in over 190 countries and territories and more than one million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and over 100,000 games and competitions every year. Engage with us on: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedInand our blog on Medium. Learn more at www.SpecialOlympics.org.
