Where: Columbia Conference Center

Where: Columbia Conference Center

Summer Educator

Workshop

When: Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Where: Columbia Conference Center

169 Laurelhurst Ave, Columbia SC 29210

What:Join Special Olympics South Carolina, educators, youth leaders, administrators, paraprofessionals and other individuals involved in Project UNIFY® as we come together to share, learn and continuously improve by working together through the Project UNIFY® movement. Participants will gain new perspectives, effective best practices and exciting ideas for the upcoming school year.

This workshop is open to all current and potential educators. This is an excellent first step for educators interested in getting involved!

Why not bring a friend or colleague!

*Certificates will be available for educators seeking continuing education credit.

How:Registration will be available on the Special Olympics South Carolina website, by June 1st and will be distributed to all Project UNIFY® contacts at that time.

For more information,

please contact Barbara Oswald

at or 803-772-1555 ext.308.

Summer Educator

Workshop

Tentative Agenda

10:00“Project UNIFY® 101”- open to new or returning schools

11:15Project UNIFY® General Session

- Year in Review (2014-2015)

- Funding Application Process for 2015-2016

- School Resource Updates, including the “Play Unified” marketing campaign

-Important Dates & Opportunities

-Project UNIFY® Sports Event Planning

  1. Young Athletes Day events (hosted by Elementary, Middle or High Schools)
  2. Unified Sports Tournaments
  3. General Special Olympics Competitions (i.e. Spring Games; Special Olympics Day)

12:15Networking Lunch

1:00Breakout Sessions Round #1-

  1. “Fundraising 101”
  2. Whole-School Awareness
  3. School Assemblies and Advocacy Rallies
  4. School-level YAC
  5. General & Special Ed Collaborations

2:15Breakout Sessions Round #2

  1. Elementary- Young Athletes Program & Inclusive PE
  2. Secondary- Unified PE Training

3:30Sessions Conclude

What Is Project UNIFY®?

Background: In 2008, Special Olympics North America was awarded funding from the US Department of Education with a goal to use sports and education programs to activate young people to develop school communities where all youth are agents of change, fostering respect, dignity, and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities. To accomplish this goal, the organization formed Project UNIFY®, a program that seeks to utilize existing state Special Olympics programs and initiatives in combination with schools to promote socially inclusive communities.

Metrics for South Carolina’s 2014-2015 Project UNIFY® programs include:

  • 156 elementary, middle and high schools participating (and receiving program funding from SOSC) representing…
  • 46 school districts
  • 5000+ youth with AND without intellectual disabilities directly involved with inclusive sports programming as Special Olympics athletes, unified partners, young athletes & buddies
  • Reaching more than 85,000 students statewide through whole-school awareness/advocacy campaigns; impacted just over 83,000 students in 2013-2014.

Schools engage students through the following programs, activities and initiatives:

Inclusive Sports: Students with and without intellectual disabilities participate in sports alongside each other through Unified Sports® or an inclusive Youth Athletes Program (for athletes age 2-7 years)

Youth Leadership and Advocacy: Project UNIFY® does not merely allow young people to take leadership roles in promoting Project UNIFY® in their schools and communities…it INSISTS that they do so. For youth both with and without intellectual disabilities, these are leadership lessons that last a lifetime, and youth are recognized as the pioneers of an inclusive environment.

Whole-School Engagement: When an entire school accepts and includes students and others with intellectual disabilities, it is a powerful community of change. By giving all students, faculty, and staff opportunities to participate, Project UNIFY® helps to achieve that goal.

Project UNIFY aligns with important education initiatives:

  • Service-learning
  • Anti-bullying
  • Character Education
  • Health & Wellness; Anti-Obesity
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