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November 12, 2021
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Special Olympics is working to ensure that sports in schools are inclusive. More than 200 public and private schools across the country have already enrolled in Unified Champions Schools (UCS) program for the 2021-2022 acadmemic year. The program integrates students with intellectual and learning disabilities with their peers in a school environment to engage, play sports and learn together. It aims to create an environment of inclusion with clubs planning activities that engage the entire school.
UCS was introduced in the UAE by Beyond Sport Global Award shortlisters Special Olympics in 2019 just before the COVID-19 pandemic. It expanded to include seven regions over the past year, becoming one of the largest initiatives to integrate students of all abilities. Launched 11 years ago in the United States, the UAE is the first country to implement the UCS program nationwide in all schools.
“We started a unified basketball programme and children trained and played together and became friends,” said Matthew Thomas, head of physical education at Gems Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis. It changed the mindset and made people more compassionate. I see people playing now at the school who would never have if they were not part of this project.”
The program equips young people, teachers and trainers with tools and resources to create climates of acceptance in sports, classrooms and throughout the entire school community. It encourages engagement between youth and empowers them with inclusive opportunities. To complement this, it also offers capacity-building sessions for teaching staff and educators to create socially inclusive classrooms and activities through professional development training.
“We don’t want people of determination to be in a separate school or a separate football program or class,” said Khawla Barley, head of initiatives, Special Olympics UAE. “Where is the best place to really start developing an inclusive mindset? It is at school. The pupils take over and we are working to empower pupil leaders to lead inclusive teams and clubs, and make change happen at their own schools.”
UCS programming brings young people with and without intellectual disabilities together for Unified Sports, inclusive leadership and whole-school engagement opportunities. Ranging from Pre-K to university, the program has grown to more than 50 countries around the world. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s donation of $25 million brought inclusive education to Argentina, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Romania and Rwanda, in schools and communities where young people with intellectual disabilities are most underserved.
The comprehensive curriculum takes a three-component approach offering schools multiple opportunities for inclusion through unified sports, inclusive youth leadership and whole school engagement activities that run throughout the school year. Schools can become a Unified School if at least one unified sport is offered in one semester. In addition, schools can progress to becoming a Unified Champion School if inclusive youth leadership and whole school engagement requirements are fulfilled.
All public and private schools of all curriculums are invited to register for the UCS program.
Source: The National
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