SPECIAL OLYMPICS Project UNIFY®

1. SPECIAL OLYMPICS Project UNIFY®

2. 2 | THE PATH WAGED BY ONE WOMAN… Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joyand friendship. 

3. 3 | ...CREATED SPECIAL OLYMPICS More than an event… a Movement It’s one thing to change a life. It’s another to change the entire community’s mindset.

4. 4 | GLOBAL REACH 7Global Regions 228Local Programs 180Countries 1,010,000Coaches & Volunteers 3,400,000Athletes 44,000Events Each Year World GamesEvery 2 years

5. 5 | SPECIAL OLYMPICS IN NUMBERS • 3.43 million athletes worldwide • 8% growthin 2009—fastest growing regions are Asia-Pacific and East Asia • 67 percentof our athletes are of school age (8-21) • 57,000 individualsin the 2-7 age group • 38 PERCENT of the Special Olympics athlete population are female • More than 30 sports, including athletics, football, basketball, bowling, aquatics and table-tennis • 130,000 Unified Sports® athletesand over 196,000 partners are now engaged in Unified Sports® • 22,177 athletesserve in leadership positions • 244,000 coachessupported Special Olympics athletes during 2009 • 121 competitionswere hosted every day in 2009 • US$173 Million raised (cash) in 2009

6. 6 | THE NEED Approximately 1-3% of the global population or almost 200 millionpeoplehave intellectual disabilities, making it one of the largest disability populations in the world.

7. What We Are Up Against • Bullying and Safety Concerns • Isolation and Disengagement • Emotional Distress and Unhealthy Behavior

8. 8 | Issues: Bullying & safety concerns For all students in school today feeling unsafe has a negative impact on learning: 28% of students say they were bullied at school within the last 6 months.i 35.5% of students reported being in a physical fight within the previous year.ii For our population, bullying is the norm: 9% of students with intellectual disabilities, are bullied or victimized once a week or more. iii of students with disabilities reported being bullied compared to 25 percent of the general student population. iv 60% 2-3x Only 10 studies have been conducted in the United States on bullying and developmental disabilities. All studies found that children with disabilities were two to three times more likely to be victims of bullying than their nondisabled peers.v

9. 9 | Issues: Isolation & Disengagement All students who feel connected to their schools and engaged in their learning are more successful academically and have healthier behavior, yet: 40-60% of students in high school are chronically disengaged from school. vi only 55% of high school students feel they are an important part of their school community. vii For persons with intellectual disabilities: only 10% of youth say they have a classmate or friend with intellectual disabilities. Isolation for children with disabilities remains the norm. viii Only11-25% of persons of employment age with intellectual disability have jobs as their transition from school to work leaves huge numbers lost and alone.

10. 10 | Issues: Emotional distress & Unhealthy behavior All students must be healthy, safe and ready to succeed; yet, many are struggling: only 34% of students engage in enough regular physical activity, despite rising obesity. 15% of high school students say they have seriously considered suicide within the last year. 11% of high school students have made plans for suicide, and 7% have actually attempted to take their own lives. ix 44% of children report stress-related sleeping difficulties.x

11. Time to Think Differently

12. 12 | THE CATALYST: SPECIAL OLYMPICS • We bring a unified, inclusive vision that helps people get along better. • Not just a sports event. An every day movement. • Sport for those frequently excluded: people with intellectual disabilities • Community participation through athlete leadership, Unified Sports®, family empowerment, health promotion, research, advocacy, and volunteerism • Communicate the gifts and value of every person to audiences around the world • Activate people, especially young people, to become agents of change. • By celebrating people of all differences we bring the world together one team mate at a time

13. A Vision of Inclusion

14. 14 | PROJECT UNIFY® • A strategy to activate youth, engage educators, and promoteschool communities of acceptance and inclusion where all young people are agents of change. • Utilizing the sports and education initiatives of Special Olympics, Project UNIFY®: • Fosters respect and dignity for people with intellectual disabilities • Changes actions and attitudes among their peers without intellectual disabilities. • CHARACTERISTICS • Unifying Sports Program • Youth Leadership • School/Community Collaborations • Creating/Sustaining Relationships • Communications • Professional Development • Continuous Improvement

15. 15 | PROJECT UNIFY® GOALS INCLUDE UNIFY SPECIAL ED STUDENTS ALL STUDENTS ADULT-LED STUDENT-LED SPORTS OPPORTUNITIES sports as a catalyst for SEL and school climate CHANGE

16. School & Community Impact Unified Sports teams Youth Activation Committees Engaged/Involved Students Schools:All Students & Teachers Family & Friends Communities,Companies, & Governments • School Community

17. 17 | A WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH PRE- K/ELEMENTARY Young Athletes™, “Get Into It®” curriculum & e-tools, Unify Day, Web site information/ activities/ friendships, Fans in the Stands, assemblies MIDDLE SCHOOL Unified Sports clubs, “Get Into It®” curriculum and e-tools, Youth Summits & rallies, Unify Day, “R-Word”, Partners Clubs, Web site connections, essay contests, Fans in the Stands HIGH SCHOOL Unified Sports, “Get Into It®” curriculum & e-tools, Unify Day, Games, “R-Word”, web-based friendships, partners Clubs, social networking, essay contests, editorial writing, volunteering, Fans in the Stands, assemblies & rallies

18. 18 | 3 Critical Components Inclusive Sports activities Unified Sports®, Unified Sports® Player Development, Young Athletes™, Unified recreation Inclusive/Collaborative Youth Leadership Unified Sports clubs, “Get Into It®” activities (GII Active), conducting Youth Summits & rallies, organizing Unify Day or Sports Days, “R-Word” activities and Spread the Word to End the Word planning, Partners Clubs, social network connections and awareness activities, Fundraising for Special Olympics School-wide Awareness and Engagement Unified Sports tournaments, Unify Day or Sports Days for the whole school to engage in, or volunteer at, attending or hosting Special Olympics Games and competitions, “R-Word” campaign and Spread the Word to End the Word, school-wide essay contests, volunteering, Fans in the Stands, school assemblies & pep rallies or rallies for respect

19. 19 | A WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH

20. 20 | A WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH

21. 21 | PROJECT UNIFY® PROGRAM ELEMENTS Get Into It® service-learning, standards-aligned K-12 curriculum Young Athletes™– early intervention, ages 2-7social and motor development Games and sports events Volunteering, Fans In the Stands Unified Sports®teams Partners Clubs and ALPs – Athlete Leadership/Inclusive Youth Leadership R-Word Assemblies and Rallies for Respect

22. 22 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTR-Word & Rally for Respect • A youth-created, youth-led movement to eradicate the use of derogatory language to hurt and demean • 200,000 pledges collected on r-word.org • 108,236 members of r-word “Spread the Word” • Facebook community and counting… • Nearly 7 million followers on twitter thanks to the NBA, Al Roker, Paula Deen, Dr. Oz and other celebs. • Our campaign spokespersons, Lauren Potter, from the hit show “Glee” taped interviews for E! and ET for us. • More than 11.5 million pledges from youth in India • Whole school approach: • Youth leaders with and without ID collaborate to promote social justice • Students and adults work together to make a change in their schools and in themselves

23. 23 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTR-Word & Rally for Respect Social Skills

24. 24 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTR-Word IMPACT • Rosa Law’s passed in 2010: Federal Law bars the use of the word “retard” and changes it to intellectual disability in all government documents. • Many states take implement the same thing at the state level. • Proclamation Days: Many cities and states have official proclamation days – promoting respect and raising awareness around the R-word. • Continued Growth online: In the course of the 3 year campaign there has been a major increase in web traffic showing continued growth and interest year over year, blogs, events, pledges, tweets and fans. • Activation in 50 college campuses and 750 K—12 schools. • India, China, Ireland , South Africa join in pledge signing and related events. • Generation of more than 100 million media impressions in leading news outlets such as New York Times, Fox, AP, MSNBC, CNN.

25. 25 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTUnified Sports®Celebrating People of all Differences What is Unified Sports®? Places individuals with intellectual disabilities (athletes) and individuals without intellectual disabilities (partners) side by side on competitive sports teams. The Unified Sports® Mission To promote athleticism and social inclusion through sports

26. 26 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTUnified Sports® Teams IMPACT Reported Significant Change in Self-esteem/Self-Confidence ATHLETES WITH ID: 64%ATHLETES WITHOUT ID: 37% Reported Significant Change in Social skills ATHLETES WITH ID: 47%ATHLETES WITHOUT ID: 65% • An opportunity for students with and without ID to play sports together • Introduced in 1990, now engages approximately 40,000 students with and without ID in U.S. alone—324,123 globally • Whole school approach: • Student friendships made on the playing field are cultivated in classroom and club collaborations, projects and assemblies • All students benefit physically and socially • Teachers gain appreciation of ability for students of all abilities to collaborate on class projects

27. 27 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTUnified Sports® Teams Self-esteem/Self-confidence

28. 28 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTUnified Sports® ADVANCES THE MISSION THROUGH INCLUSION Unified Sports® rules and guidelines on age and ability are designed to create “a level playing field” and ensure that all athletes and participants are challenged, develop new skills, gain appreciation for the talents of others, and play an important role on teams. “ Within a short amount of time it gets blended together and teammates are off to the job of playing basketball or softball. The idea of being “special’ gets lost.” —Fred McNulty, Special Education Director

29. 29 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTUnified Sports® ADVANCES THE MISSION THROUGH Creating Understanding Parents, teachers, friends, coaches, and others who witness athletes and partners teaming up in Unified Sports competitions can’t help but have their preconceived notions of what it means to have an intellectual disability transformed. “Passing a ball across a court or running down a field side by side teaches tolerance and acceptance in a way that is rarely achieved inside a classroom.” —K. Riordan, Special Olympics Unified Team Coach

30. 30 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTUnified Sports® ADVANCES THE MISSION THROUGH Community-Based Participation Partnerships with non-Special Olympics groups (such as schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc.) are vital. Such collaborations further integrate athletes in their communities and enhance appreciation of the talents and abilities of Special Olympics athletes among others. “The important thing about my Unified Sports® team is that it allows my Special Olympics athletes to be less isolated, more a part of the community.” —Special Olympics Unified Sports® Coach

31. 31 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTUnified Sports® ADVANCES THE MISSION THROUGH Friendship and Socialization As with any team, athletes and partners are provided a forum which promotes camaraderie, competition and fun, and leads to long-lasting friendships. “I’ve seen more interaction on the field today between classmates than I’ve seen in my classroom all year.” —KitziChotlos, Special Education Teacher

32. 32 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTUnified Sports® ADVANCES THE MISSION THROUGH Friendship and Socialization Access to highly qualified coaches allows both athletes and partners a chance to develop sport-specific skills while maintaining physical fitness through regular training and competition. “I don’t see many differences. Athletes and partners both want to compete. And everyone wants to have fun.” —Don Hess, Unified Sports® Coach

33. 33 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTUnified Sports® ADVANCES THE MISSION THROUGH Competition EXPERIENCES Athletes and partners take the field of play in sports competitions against other Unified teams benefiting from both physical and mental challenges, and gaining appreciation of each other’s role not only as teammates, but as friendly competitors. “Our team’s getting better. We’re gelling because we’re getting everyone involved.” —Brian Georgi, Unified Sports® Partner

34. 34 | DEMONSTRATING REAL IMPACT 93% of partners say that they gained a better understanding of individuals with intellectual disabilities after playing Unified Sports® 64% of athletes WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES report an overwhelmingly positive change in their self-esteem/confidence after playing Unified Sports® 37% of ATHLETES WITHOUT INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIESreport an overwhelmingly positive change after playing Unified Sports® 47% of ATHLETES with intellectual disabilities reported a positive change in their social skills after playing Unified Sports® 65% of athletes without intellectual disabilities report positive change in their social skills. Data from Unified Partners (European study)

35. 35 | GENERATING NOTHING SHORT OF A TOTAL TRANSFORMATION Unified Sports® challenges partners’ preconceived notions of what it means to have an intellectual disability as they experience firsthand what Special Olympics athletes are capable of. “Now there is no teasing of special students on the street any more. An understanding developed that there are no differences between the regular and the special students.” —Teacher, Slovakia

36. 36 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTGET INTO IT® IMPACT “The general education and special education students have learned so much about each other…I see the students hanging out in the halls together now and having lunch with each other. It's a win-win situation for everyone." Linda Davenport-Kennedy, Teacher at North High School and Project UNIFY® Coordinator • Online resource for teachers to introduce acceptance • Downloaded by 40,000 teachers, mostly special education, in its early versions • Whole school approach: • Teachers receive standards-aligned, inclusive curriculum (newest version launched in fall 2010 to 3 million teachers and administrators) • Students with and without ID collaborate on projects and activities through service-learning and experiential-learning • Serves as complement to other school activities such as r-word, Unified Sports® or Fans in the Stands

37. PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTSO GET INTO IT®MATERIALS

38. 38 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTGET INTO IT® Materials

39. GII Active Condensed version of K-12 GII Lessons based on more physical activity and discussions. Designed for less-structured environments (recess, after-school programs, sports teams) 39

40. The Context: Where can GII Active be used? • Youth Leadership: GII Active was created to be a tool not just for educators, but for any group leader. This resource would allow youth to lead and train other youth or even adults in these activities, discussions, and simulations. 40

41. Movies that Move Clips from films and TV shows based on themes of Different Abilities, Acceptance, Power of Words, and Youth Leadership with teacher’s guide 41

42. 42 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTYOUNG ATHLETES™ • IMPACT • Helps community gain a better understanding of children with special needs. • Gives children a sense of increased mastery & competence. • Shows parents what their child is capable of & gives parents a network of their own. • Encourages children to use their bodies in a variety of ways. • Early-intervention program for ages 2-7 • Introduced in 2005, now serving 17,446 children and families in North America, and 21,943 around the world in 120 Programs. • Whole school approach: • K-2 students participate in inclusive physical activities • 3rd - 4th graders become peer “buddies” or “helpers” • Students learn acceptance and understanding • Students gain volunteer experience

43. 43 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTYOUNG ATHLETES™ Percent of teachers reporting improvement in the following areas: 75% MOTOR DEVELOPMENT 71% COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 69% SELF HELP SKILLS SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 65% COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT 62%

44. 44 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTALPS & Inclusive Youth Leadership • IMPACT • Helps community gain a better understanding of children with special needs. • Gives children a sense of increased mastery & competence. • Shows parents what their child is capable of & gives parents a network of their own. • Encourages children to use their bodies in a variety of ways. • Currently promotes self-advocacy and leadership skills with a focus on SO athlete board inclusion and Global Messengers • Project Unify® builds and expands upon this model to include all students through Partners Clubs and other inclusive group activities • Whole school approach: • Youth leaders with and without ID develop the leadership skills to work together for school change, both in newly formed clubs and committees, and through existing student groups such as student councils and service clubs • Students without ID gain the critical skills to include their peers with ID in substantive and meaningful leadership, collaboration and co-creation

45. 45 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTGAMES & EVENTS IMPACT In North Carolina, in a very rural district with only a few ID in school, a fan club created for just one student – “Stephen Hill” fan club – group of his fellow students and friends traveled 3 hours just to cheer him on at state event as their classmate. “It almost brings tears to your eyes to know normal-needs kids no longer see special-needs kids as outcasts.” • What was an afterschool sports event or field trip for the special education students now engages the entire student body through Fans in the Stands and pep assemblies and rallies • Project Unify® builds and expands upon the volunteer model to include all students. • Whole school approach: • Entire schools engage in pep rallies held for all students to receive recognition, students volunteer as “fans in the stands” • Students serve as peer coaches or partners on Unified Sports® teams • Student councils and other inclusive leadership clubs conduct and manage sports competitions and related events such as r-word pledges, or poster contests

46. 46 | PROJECT UNIFY® ELEMENTGAMES & EVENTS

47. 47 | PROJECT UNIFY® REACH • Since launch in 2008: • 45% increase in funding from the U.S. Dept. of Education • 2008: $5.5 million. 2010, 2011: $8 million/year. • More than two-thirds of funding goes to state Programs • 42 U.S. State Programs implementing • 2,100 schools participating • 20,000 new Special Olympics athletes and partners added • 1,000,000 youth impressions • 150,000 youth engaged • CORPORATE PARTNER: MATTEL • In 2010 $500,000 from Mattel Children's Foundation for Young Athletes , curriculum and school-youth activities • Nearly $6 million since 2005 • 31,000 Mattel employees have volunteered • 22 countries (34 Programs) • 350 sports events

48. 48 | PROJECT UNIFY® is not Made in USA • Universal concept • Global Expansion made possible by a generous multi-year gift from from Stephanie and Ray Lane • Pilots in Europe-Eurasia and Asia-Pacific: • Austria • Italy • Romania • Serbia • India • European models more focused on community and involve sports clubs • Asia models combine special schools with general education schools for after school activities • Each region will customize but stay true to the characteristics and 3 critical components

49. Results

50. Most recent evaluation Results: • Students in Project UNIFY schools had positive perceptions of their school • Students’ perceptions of their school climate is related to their level of involvement in Project UNIFY, meaning that: • Students who are more involved in Project UNIFY are more likely to have positive perceptions of school climate, and/or; • Students who have positive perceptions of school climate are more likely to become involved in Project UNIFY. • Over two-thirds of teachers involved in Project UNIFY observed that PU helped raise awareness about students with ID and increased opportunities for student collaborations 50