National School Recognition Program

A Special Olympics Unified Champion School® demonstrating commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 standards of excellence receives national banner recognition.

A Special Olympics Unified Champion School has an inclusive school climate and exudes a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff. 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.

The primary activities within these standards include: Special Olympics Unified Sports® (where students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates), Inclusive Youth Leadership and Whole-School Engagement. Banner Unified Champion Schools should also be able to demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future.

The expectation of this recognition is that the 10 standards are continuously being met, year after year. To ensure this sustainability, schools reapply for banner status every 4 years.
 
The National Recognition Program application cycle is currently closed. The next cycle will open in Spring 2025.

During the application review process, school applications will be reviewed in two stages: first by state Program staff and then by a national Certifying Body of key educational leaders. Learn more about the Certifying Body members.

• ALASKA: George Morgan Sr High School, Joseph and Olinga Elementary School
• ARKANSAS: Clinton High School, Southside Elementary
• ARIZONA: Cibola High School, Liberty High School
• COLORADO: Chatfield Senior High School, Columbine High School, Merrill Middle School, Regis University
• CONNECTICUT: Albert D. Griswold Middle School, Amity Regional High School, Avon High School, Brookfield High School, Center School East Hampton, CT, Cheshire High School, Coginchaug High School, Conard High School, Edwin O. Smith High School, Highland Elementary School, Jockey Hollow Middle School, Ledyard Middle School, Masuk High School, Memorial Elementary School, Nathan-Hale-Ray High School, Norwich Free Academy (NFA), Plainville High School, R.M.T. Johnson School, Shelton High School, Smith Middle School, Stamford High School, Wolcott High School
• DELAWARE: Cape Henlopen High School, Lake Forest Central Elementary, Major George S. Welch Elementary, Middletown High School
• FLORIDA: Boulevard Heights Elementary, Coral Shores High School, East River High School, Immokalee High School, Key Largo School, Miami Beach Fienberg Fisher K-8, Oak Park Middle School, Southwest Miami Senior High School, Trafalgar Middle School, Westside Elementary School
• IOWA: Ankeny Centennial High School, Central DeWitt High School
• IDAHO: Boise High School
• ILLINOIS: Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School, Campanelli Elementary School, De La Salle Institute/Southside Occupational Academy, Edwardsville High School, Luther Burbank Elementary School Chicago. MacArthur Middle School Prospect Heights D23, Victor J. Andrew High School
• IOWA: Ankeny Centennial High School, Central DeWitt High School
• INDIANA: Blackford Junior Senior High School, Carmel High School, Griffith Jr./Sr. High School, Lafayette Jefferson High School, Mooresville High School, North Side High School, Valparaiso High School
• KANSAS: Washburn Rural High School
• KENTUCKY: University of Louisville
• MAINE: Frank H. Harrison Middle School
• MARYLAND: Catoctin High School, Chesapeake High School
• MASSACHUSETTS: Chicopee Comprehensive High School, Chicopee High School, Curley K-8 School, D.L. Beckwith Middle School, Dr Kevin M Hurley Middle School, Fitchburg High School, Hopkinton High School, Mark G Hoyle Elementary School, Mattahunt Elementary, Methuen High School, Newton South High School, Plymouth North High School, Quabbin Regional Middle-High School, Rollins Early Childhood Center, Varnum Brook Elementary School, Walepole Middle School, West Bridgewater Middle-Senior High School, Westborough High School, Weymouth High School
• MICHIGAN: Jenison High School
• MINNESOTA: Champlin Park High School, Eagan High School, Johnson Senior High School, Watertown Mayer High School
• MISSOURI: Marquette High School
• MONTANA: West Elementary School- Butte, Billings West High School
• NEBRASKA: Ashland-Greenwood Middle & High School, Beadle Middle School, Bennington High School, Cody Elementary School, Elkhorn Grandview Middle School, Lincoln North Star High School, Millard Central Middle School, Millard North High School, Millard North Middle School, Millard West High School, Prairie Queen Elementary, Scottsbluff High School
• NEW HAMPSHIRE: Keene High School
• NEW JERSEY: B. Bernice Young School, Macopin Middle School, Mount Olive High School, West Morris Central High School
• NEW MEXICO: Desert Ridge Middle School, Mayfield High School, Organ Mountain High School
• NEW YORK: 721M Manhattan Occupational Training Center, Amherst Central High School, Canandaigua Academy, Canandaigua Middle School, Chittenango High School, Churchville-Chili High School, Fredonia High School, Glens Falls High School, Hoosick Falls High School, Horseheads High School, Irondequoit High School, Ithaca High School, New Hyde Park Memorial High School, Newark High School, Newburgh Free Academy, Niagara Wheatfield High School, Pioneer Central, Saratoga Spring High School, Sayville High School, Southampton High School, Starpoint High School, Victor Senior High School
• NORTH CAROLINA: Eugene Ashley High School, Green Level High School, Oak Grove Middle School, Smithfield-Selma High School
• NORTH DAKOTA: West Fargo High School
• NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: Antelope High School
• OHIO: Northland High School, Perkins High School, Stow-Munroe Falls High School, Strongsville Middle School
• OKLAHOMA: Burns Flat-Dill City Schools, Skyview Elementary, Weatherford High School
• OREGON: Auburn Elementary, Lake Oswego High School, West Salem High School
• PENNSYLVANIA: Butler Senior High School, Central York High School, Dallastown Area High School, Franklin Regional High School, Hempfield Area High School, Mount Pleasant Area High School, Norwin High School, Pennridge High School, Red Lion Senior High School, Springfield Township High School, Sun Valley High School
• RHODE ISLAND: Coventry High School, East Providence High School, Raymond C. LaPerche Elementary School
• SOUTH CAROLINA: Berkeley Middle School, Carolina Springs Middle School, Clover High School, Lexington Four Early Childhood Center, Lugoff Elgin High School, Meadow Glen Middle School, Powdersville Middle School, River Bluff High School, Satchel Ford Elementary, Sumter High School
• SOUTH DAKOTA: Sioux Falls Jefferson High School
• SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Antelope Hills Elementary, Montgomery High School, Murrieta Mesa High School, Murrieta Valley High School, Paramount High School Senior Campus, Woodbury Elementary
• TENNESSEE: Harpeth Middle School, Karns High School
• TEXAS: Eula High School, Lone Star Elementary School
• UTAH: Davis High School, Northridge High School, Oquirrh Hills Middle School, Timberline Middle School
• VERMONT: Bellcate School, Hartford High School
• VIRGINIA: Annandale High School, Broad Run High School, King William High School, Liberty High School- Bedford, Stone Bridge High School, Thomas C. Boushall Middle School, Washington-Liberty High School, Woodgrove High School, Yorktown High School
• WASHINGTON: Martin Sortun Elementary School, West Seattle High School
• WISCONSIN: Neenah Middle School, Neenah High School

View the full list of Nationally Recognized schools who currently maintain banner status.