Curley K-8 School, Mattahunt Elementary School Receive National Banner Recognition From Special Olympics

Special Olympics Massachusetts has announced the Curley K-8 School and the Mattahunt Elementary School are receiving National Banner recognition for their efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities. The Curley School and Mattahunt School receive this distinguished status as a result of meeting 10 national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from the 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. National Banner schools should also demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future.

"We are incredibly proud of the Curley K-8 School and the Mattahunt Elementary School for achieving their well-deserved National Banner recognition from Special Olympics," said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper. "These schools have demonstrated the power of inclusivity by creating spaces where students of all abilities can come together, thrive, and support one another. This achievement is a testament to the dedication of the educators, staff, and students who continue to champion acceptance and unity, helping us move closer to building a more-inclusive future across all of our schools."

Boston Public Schools (BPS) since October 2023 has been implementing its landmark Inclusive Education Plan for the Boston Public Schools. The plan outlines systemic changes across all BPS divisions to close opportunity gaps and give every student access to rigorous and culturally affirming instruction. This Inclusive Education Plan will transform learning outcomes for all students, upholding the right of every student to be educated in the least-restrictive environment.

"At the Curley K-8 School inclusion is not a place, it is a mindset," said Curley K-8 School Principal Katie Grassa, Ed.D. "Being an inclusive community starts within the walls of the classroom but stretches far beyond with our Unified Sports taking place during physical education classes, many of our students also participating outside of the school day in our Unified Soccer and Unified Basketball leagues. The Curley School has a student government, which puts their efforts into action during the school day by developing and sharing daily announcements and hosting spirit weeks that center around inclusion and respect."

The Unified Champion Schools® model is a strategy for schools Pre-K through university that intentionally promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without disabilities to create accepting school environments, utilizing three interconnected components: Unified Sports; inclusive youth leadership; and whole-school engagement. As many as 16 million young people are taking part in inclusive experiences through Special Olympics.

"Team Mattahunt is excited and truly honored by the National Banner recognition," said Mattahunt Elementary School Principal Walter Henderson, Ed.D. "It is a tribute to the progress the teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff and school administration have made in building an inclusive community. We as a team are even more excited that our students have formed a bond with each other, support each other, care about one another, and embrace any and all differences. The Mattahunt is truly a family."

More than 369 schools are currently participating in Unified Champion Schools® programming in Massachusetts as part of 10,000 schools across the country including 49 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, engaged in the program. The Unified Champion Schools® strategy aims to expand to 20,000 schools by 2030.

The Unified Champion Schools® model is supported by the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. This model has been proven, through research, to be an effective and replicable means to providing students with and without disabilities the opportunity to form positive social relationships and promote a socially inclusive school climate.