Some 39 categories were celebrated at the event in Khalifa University.
The winners of the Unified Champion Schools (UCS) have been announced in a virtual event that was live streamed from Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi.
Hosted by Special Olympics UAE, the awards recognise the schools, students, and teachers dedicated to championing inclusion in school communities.
The first edition of the awards that drive inclusion for People of Determination with intellectual and developmental disabilities in mainstream schools, saw 39 award categories celebrating sports, leadership, impact and sustainable inclusion.
Among the winners were Emirati youth leader, Ghalyah Al Hendi, a participant in the Unified Robotics competition, who with teammate Alyazia Al Hadhrami, co-founded Peoplability, an organisation funded by the Special Olympics UAE grant for inclusive youth leadership, which connects People of Determination with employment and university opportunities.
This year is the first awards showcasing outstanding athletes, partners, teachers, team leaders, and schools that have exemplified inclusion in implementing Unified Sports, and creating opportunities for leadership in innovation, impact, exposure, and sustainability.
The Unified Robotics 2022 competition season, held in partnership with Atlab and supported by KPMG, concluded at the UCS Awarding Ceremony with the announcement of gold, silver, and bronze winners along with special award categories for schools that demonstrated inclusion, team spirit and innovation.
Record numbers took part in the competition this year with some 700 neurodiverse students and mainstream peers from 153 UAE schools competing together to complete robotics missions.
Speaking at the ceremony, His Excellency Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of Special Olympics UAE said; “We are delighted to recognise all the outstanding efforts by individuals and schools in the Unified Champion Schools programme.
“The response to the programme has been extremely positive, and we are proud to recognise the students, teachers, and schools for their outstanding dedication to inclusion.
“This success sets an example of the UAE’s proactive commitment to inclusion, especially in education where youths can start their journey in life with the belief that inclusion is a norm, not an exception.
“We are very grateful to our country’s leadership for the unwavering support and all the schools, educational groups, students, and teachers who create environments of acceptance and inclusion for students of all abilities.”
More than 400 schools in the UAE have participated in the Special Olympics global flagship Unified Champion Schools programme in its first academic year of implementation at a nationwide level.
The programme is implemented through a calendar of events and activities under three main pillars; Unified Sports, Inclusive Youth Leadership and Whole School Engagement.
Resources are offered to shape school environments that are inclusive to students of diverse abilities encouraging leadership, friendship, and teamwork. This includes ongoing training and support provided to teachers to further their skills in compassionate inclusion, managing Unified programs and empowering students of diverse abilities.
The Unified Robotics competition, one of the largest unified competitions for neurodiverse students in the region, is offered every year to schools as part of the UCS program.
Any school wishing to register for the UCS programme can do so online via Special Olympics UAE.
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