Unified | Unified Champion Schools

Unified Special Olympics

Special Olympics Ontario Unified Champion Schools is dedicated to creating inclusive and accepting school environments across Ontario. By integrating inclusive sports & health, youth leadership, and whole-school engagement, the program builds a culture where every student is valued, regardless of ability.

This program is designed to create lasting, system-wide change, making inclusion a sustainable and integral part of the school culture. It reduces bullying, improves school climate, and enhances the self-esteem of all students, creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and valued.

With support tailored to each school’s unique needs, Special Olympics Ontario is committed to helping schools implement these three pillars, ensuring that every student can participate fully—whether as an athlete, a leader, or a supporter. Together, we are fostering a generation of leaders who recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion, and who are equipped to carry these values forward into the future.

The concept of combining athletes with and without intellectual disabilities was first introduced in the mid-1980s to provide another challenge for higher-ability athletes and promote equality and inclusion. Unified Sport has become a transformative platform for breaking down barriers, fostering greater acceptance and promoting social inclusion and empowerment through sports. It is now a global movement that brings people together through sport to create inclusion within schools. About 1.2 million people worldwide take part in Unified Sports. This program empowers individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to engage through the power of sports.

Many high-profile, professional sports organizations and events have also showcased Unified Sports as a vehicle to show the power of inclusive sports! Notably, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) participate in unified programming. Click to watch Special Olympics' Play Unified video.

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Three Pillars of Unified Champion Schools

Inclusive Sports & Health

A fully inclusive sports, fitness, and wellness program that combines an approximately equal number of students with and without intellectual disabilities, such as Special Olympics Unified Sports, Interscholastic Unified Sports, Unified PE, Unified Intramurals, or Unified Health and Wellness.

Youth Leadership

Students with and without intellectual disabilities working together to lead and plan advocacy, awareness, and other Special Olympics and related inclusive activities throughout the school year. 

Whole School Engagement

Awareness and education activities that promote inclusion and reach the majority of the school population and all students in the school have opportunities to participate through sustained school wide activities.  

Components of a Unified Program

A Special Olympics student-athlete is an individual with an intellectual disability or challenge of any kind (all types are accepted, no documentation required).

A Unified Partner is a student without an intellectual disability, often someone who is a leader within their school, actively involved in the school community, or passionate about sports. Unified Partners are typically student leaders, athletes who didn’t make their school’s sports teams, or those who also play on their high school teams. They play a crucial role in promoting inclusion by participating alongside their peers in Unified Sports and other activities.

Unified Champion Schools often establish one or more sports teams that include students with and without intellectual disabilities, competing together at Special Olympics events. In addition to sports, some schools create Unified Clubs, where students can engage in a variety of activities—ranging from dance and poetry to other creative and social endeavours. These teams and clubs provide inclusive opportunities for all students to connect, collaborate, and celebrate their diverse talents.

How to become a Unified Champion School

Embarking on the journey to get involved and build a Unified program is a straightforward process, follow these steps to get started!

Review our Unified 101 document - click here to view
Complete the Unified Coaching Course (Pick 1 of the 2 options)  
1. SO Canada Course  (or) 
2. NFHS Learning Center 
(Optional) Attend a one-on-one 15-minute phone call with SOO staff (only required for new schools)   - click here to indicate your availability
Complete the UCS application Form: Forms can be found on each schools individual intake registration spreadsheets that are emailed to you directly 
Sign up to be paired with a mentor teacher in your area as part of our mentorship program (Interest can be indicated on the registration intake form)
(Optional) Watch our unified awareness video to learn more: https://youtu.be/dpXczJsA4Ng

To be officially recognized as an Ontario Unified Champion School, the final step is to share the progress, stories, and content from the initiatives launched at your school. Each school must submit one summary report every school year to attain and maintain their UCS status. This report is due by April 30th each year.

Please note that schools do not need to reapply annually to retain their UCS banner status—only the ongoing yearly report submitted by the end of April is required to maintain it.

The reporting form can be found on each school’s individual registration spreadsheet.

Elementary Schools Hub

Secondary Schools Hub

Note: You must be registered as a Unified Champion School to qualify for unified team participation in the 2025 School Championships. 

View the full UCS Model

UCS Milestones Checklist

UCS Recognition Levels & Incentives

Creating a Unified Sports Team

Form a team by reaching out to your school or teacher to initiate the program. Whether you are a parent, athlete, or partner, the first step is to reach out to your school or teacher to get the program off the ground.
Educators: Pair a group of SO Athletes/Special Education Students with a smaller group of mainstream students.
Select Unified Partners from leadership classes, sports teams, or through extracurricular sign-ups. Unified Partners are typically chosen from a leadership class, a sports team, or students can sign up for it as an extracurricular activity. Unified Partners range from the starters on the basketball team to student leaders to students who have never had the opportunity to play on a team.
Participate in in-person sports, virtual events, athlete showcases, or qualify for school championships.
Mentorship opportunities are available for those interested in starting a program - Unified Champions Schools and Teachers are available throughout the province.

Unified goes further than just attending events! A Unified program creates full school engagement and inclusion. This is how it’s done:

Embedding Unified programming into gym classes (Unified PE) and leadership classes.
Adopting consistent team practices and social events for relationship building.
Creating afterschool and lunch break programs.
Having Unified Partners advocate and spread awareness through fundraising, social media, and incorporating SO athletes into school activities.

Unified Sports

Special Olympics Ontario runs five secondary school qualifiers each year in every major city in the province for both traditional and Unified teams. The sports are soccer, basketball, bocce, Floorball, and virtual track & field. Teams that qualify for these events can participate in our version of OFFSA, the provincial school championships. Our events are open to public, catholic and private schools across Ontario. Our competitions are designed to provide opportunities for students trying sports for the first time and those more experienced in sports competitions. To register, click here!

Unified Soccer

Special Olympics Ontario runs 29 soccer events throughout the province in September and October. Each Unified team will enter a roster of up to ten athletes: six Special Olympics Athletes and four Unified Partners (a minimum of 3 SO athletes and 2 partners are required to play).

Unified Soccer is 5v5 and played outdoors; games are 20 minutes long with a two-minute half-time, and a maximum of two Unified players can be on the field at a time. Each team is guaranteed two games at their local. All rules of the game align with traditional soccer rules. The only exception is that throw-ins are kick-ins. The Ontario Soccer Association will officiate games. Click here to see the full copy of our rules!

Unified 3 on 3 Basketball

In November and December, Special Olympics runs 34 basketball competitions in Ontario. The Unified team will consist of up to 4 Special Olympics athletes and two Unified Partners (a minimum of 2 SO athletes and 1 Unified Partner are required to play).

Unified basketball is 3v3, games are 20 minutes long with a two-minute half-time, and each team is guaranteed two games at their local. All traditional basketball rules apply: there are no foul shots, and athletes must clear the ball to the key; the ball will change possession after each score. The Ontario Basketball Association will officiate games. Click here to see the full copy of our rules!

Unified Bocce

Special Olympics athletes take the court with their Unified Partners in February and March to compete in our 4v4 bocce competitions. Bocce is played indoors, typically in a gym or dome, using our soft bocce balls and court outlines. Bocce is one of the Special Olympics' most exciting and inclusive sports with 34 events province-wide. Games are also 20 minutes long, and teams are guaranteed three games. A minimum of 3 SO athletes and 1 Unified Partner are required to play. Click here to see the full copy of our rules!

Unified Floorball

Our newest sport, floorball, takes place in the spring, at the end of March and through April in 30 regions. Teams can consist of up to 8 players (5 Traditional, 3 Unified Partners. Games are played 4v4 (1 goalie + 3 players), with two ten-minute periods. Games are also 20 minutes long, and teams are guaranteed three games. Traditional floor hockey rules and unique floorball sticks and whiffle balls are used, creating an exciting, safe and fast-paced sport with few equipment requirements.

Unified Track & Field

Track and Field is Special Olympics School's lone individual sport. But it doesn't have to be. Throughout the year, until the end of April, schools can form unlimited Unified teams consisting of one Unified Partner and one SO Athlete.

Unified pairs will compete alongside each other in the same number of events. Unified Teams will be divided separately from traditional athletes and be provided separate quota allocations based on regional participation. Team times and scores will be added to represent each pair's overall score and divided based on age, gender, and combined race times. The awarded points and selection process will proceed similarly to the traditional division qualification noted above. Click here to see the full copy of our rules!

Unified Intermediate Programming
Special Olympics Ontario also offers unified virtual programming, pilot sport programs, and a Unified health series.

Meaningful Involvement

Unified Sport looks to develop Meaningful Competition, where coaches work together to create a balanced competitive environment. Coaches are responsible for ensuring the meaningful involvement of all players in the game and ensuring that each player has the opportunity to contribute to their team's success and has a role on the team. This principle is at the core of Unified Sports, promoting sportsmanship, social inclusion, and equality. It is critical that Unified Partners and Special Olympics athletes are equally involved, and that Unified Partners do not dominate games. Player dominance is defined as one individual controlling the game, particularly during critical moments, such as scoring plays and the last few minutes of competition, diminishing their teammate's role and involvement in the game.

Divisions

Teams are grouped into divisions according to their team ranking and selected classification. On the registration forms, schools will be asked to select what level their team would like to compete in (A,B,C,D). Teams can select more competitive play where athletes have a moderate-high skill- set and understanding of the rules, or less competitive play where athletes are new/learning the sport.

Unified Partners are there to compete alongside higher-level SO Athletes. Unified Partners are intended to score points, impact the game meaningfully, and compete in this category. Note: Unified Partners are not permitted to take over games but are expected to contribute to winning. Coaches are responsible for ensuring the correct involvement of their players.

All athletes in this category have a knowledge of the game and rules.
Unified Partners and traditional athletes will impact the game equally.
Partners are expected to compete at a high level alongside the SO athletes, scoring, passing and following their role designed by the coach.
In this category teams are eligible to compete in regional qualifiers and School Championships. Teams are divisioned based on their (A-D) ranking.

*Note: Unified teams will all be classified under the same Unified division and rules. This level indicator is to help us make appropriate Divisions where possible.

Become a Unified Coach or Partner

Take the course to get started

Athlete Showcases

Our showcase events series features Special Olympics Ontario-style Unified basketball and bocce competitions. These are large regional evening/weekend tournaments designed to highlight our athletes, bring parents to our events, and connect our communities with our schools. Athlete Showcase is open to Unified Champion School teams, SO community teams, parings, individual SO athletes, or Unified Partners to sign up. These events are available to recent graduates and current high school students ages 16-30).

Don’t miss out on new swag, provided lunches and snacks, medals and more! See our events calendar to see a regional competition near you.

School Championships

Our School Championships is a 3-day multi-sport event at the end of the year, bringing hundreds of qualifying athletes from across the Province together for three days of competition and excitement. The five Unified Sports will include Athletics, Basketball, Bocce, Floorball, and Soccer. This life-changing experience allows our athletes to compete on the provincial stage. Learn more at schoolchamps.ca 

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