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September 2, 2020
South Burlington, VT – Particular Olympics has introduced that Hinesburg, Vermont’s Champlain Valley Union (CVU) Excessive Faculties, a Particular Olympics Vermont Unified Champion Faculty, is receiving nationwide banner recognition for its efforts to supply inclusive sports activities and actions for college students with and with out disabilities. CVU is receiving this honor because of assembly nationwide requirements of excellence within the areas of inclusion, advocacy and respect.
CVU is one among solely 155 colleges within the nation, and the one within the state of Vermont, to obtain this distinction in 2020. They are going to be offered with a banner to hold of their faculty and be included on an inventory of different colleges across the nation who’ve achieved this distinguished standing. CVU is the third faculty in Vermont to realize this milestone, becoming a member of Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans, and Rutland Excessive Faculty on this accomplishment.
“We’re so pleased with your complete CVU group for being named a Particular Olympics Nationwide Unified Champion Banner Faculty,” mentioned Champlain Valley Union Excessive Faculty Principal, Adam Bunting. “We attempt to be a frontrunner in inclusion and fairness for all, and this recognition reveals that we’re setting a optimistic instance for colleges throughout your complete nation.”
Since launching their Particular Olympics inclusive faculty actions in 1999, CVU has persistently been a brilliant mild within the Unified Champion Faculty panorama in Vermont. They provide Unified Basketball, Bocce, Bowling and Snowshoe, with not less than 85 college students taking part annually. In 2016, they gained the VPA Interscholastic Unified Basketball State Championship, after which travelled to Seattle for the 2018 Particular Olympics USA Video games, bringing house a gold medal.
The CVU Redhawks have participated within the Cool Faculties Penguin Plunge for nicely over a decade, bringing collectively a whole bunch of scholars annually by way of this whole-school engagement exercise to boost a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars} for Particular Olympics Vermont. CVU developed an inclusive, student-led membership “CVUnified” that was instrumental in attaining Nationwide Banner standing, contributing collaboratively to the applying course of.
“We all know the facility of the work achieved by way of our Unified Champion Faculties, as a result of we see it,” mentioned Particular Olympics Vermont President and CEO, Missy Siner Shea. “Final yr, a proud father wrote to inform me of his son’s expertise whereas a scholar at CVU. As an 8th grader, he received concerned with the Penguin Plunge, and in highschool, advanced right into a scholar chief whereas taking part in on and training one of many unified sports activities groups. He then carried that volunteer spirit with him by way of faculty and past. His dad credit Particular Olympics Vermont and CVU’s Unified Champion Faculty efforts with serving to his son discover his ethical middle. This work we do with colleges isn’t nearly serving to college students with disabilities. It’s about making a tradition of inclusion the place these college students may also help others.”
A Particular Olympics Unified Champion Faculty has an inclusive faculty local weather and exudes a way of collaboration, engagement, and respect for all members of the scholar physique and workers. A Unified Champion Faculty receiving nationwide banner recognition is one which has demonstrated dedication to inclusion by assembly 10 nationwide requirements of excellence. These requirements have been developed by a nationwide panel of leaders from Particular Olympics and the schooling group. The first actions inside these requirements embody: Particular Olympics Unified Sports activities® (the place college students with and with out disabilities prepare and compete as teammates), inclusive youth management and whole-school engagement. Nationwide banner colleges also needs to have the ability to show they’re self-sustainable or have a plan in place to maintain these actions into the long run.
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About CVU
Champlain Valley Faculty District’s mission is to develop residents who: LEARN actively and collaboratively, THINK creatively and critically, LIVE responsibly and respectfully, CONTRIBUTE positively to their group, and PURSUE EXCELLENCE of their particular person pursuits.
CVU is a complete public highschool, serving college students in grades 9 by way of 12. The Champlain Valley Faculty District serves the cities of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, Williston and St. George. Situated within the coronary heart of the Champlain Valley, over 1,300 college students are enrolled.
About Particular Olympics Vermont
Particular Olympics Vermont is a part of a worldwide motion that works year-round to foster the inclusion and acceptance of individuals with mental disabilities by utilizing the facility of sport to showcase their presents and skills. For extra data, go to www.specialolympicsvermont.org.
About Unified Champion Faculties
Particular Olympics Unified Champion Faculties® is a technique for colleges Pre-Ok by way of college that deliberately promotes significant social inclusion by bringing collectively college students with and with out mental disabilities to create accepting faculty environments, using three interconnected parts: Particular Olympics Unified Sports activities®, inclusive youth management, and complete faculty engagement.
Greater than 80 colleges are presently taking part in Particular Olympics Unified Champion Faculties programming in Vermont, as a part of greater than 7,500 colleges throughout the nation engaged in this system. Particular Olympics Unified Champion Faculties goals to develop to 10,000 colleges by the top of the 2023-2024 faculty yr.
The Particular Olympics Unified Champion Faculties mannequin is supported by the Workplace of Particular Schooling Packages on the U.S. Division of Schooling. This mannequin has been confirmed, by way of analysis, to be an efficient and replicable means to offering college students with and with out disabilities the chance to kind optimistic social relationships and promote a socially inclusive faculty local weather*. Key knowledge factors embody:
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94% of academics/faculty workers say the Particular Olympics Unified Champion Faculties program will increase alternatives for college students with and with out mental disabilities to work collectively.
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98% of concerned academics consider participation in this system has elevated the boldness of scholars with disabilities.
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92% credit score this system with lowering bullying, teasing, and offensive language.
*Analysis performed by the Heart for Social Growth and Schooling (CSDE) on the College of Massachusetts Boston
Contact: Kelsey Conway
Director of Communications, Advertising and Public Affairs
Particular Olympics Vermont
802-861-0275
[email protected]
