East St. Louis Senior High wins national award for Special Olympics

East St. Louis Senior High received the National Unified Champion School award on Thursday to a crowd of cheers, dances and teary-eyed parents.

The award, which was presented by ESPN studio host Skubie Mageza, celebrates schools that have “demonstrated their commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence to support the Unified Champions Schools mission.”

There are over 400 schools in Illinois that are part of the National Unified Champion School program, which builds equity by promoting the inclusion of students with and without disabilities on sports teams.

“Students with disabilities are paired with students without disabilities to come together to be included in competative sports,” said Reginald Wince, the athletic director for the high school’s Special Olympics program.

“A lot of students with disabilities don’t get the chance to compete at that higher level and students without disabilities help teach the sport, train and teach them good sportsmanship.”

Special Olympics Illinois president and CEO Peter Beale-DelVecchio said the program’s inclusivity “makes better communities” because of the expectations both on and off the field.

“It happens when they’re doing sports or in the school environment,” DelVecchio said.

“How they treat each other in the hallways, the classrooms, the lunch room.”

This story was originally published March 15, 2024 at 9:35 AM.