There is much to cheer about today at Blackford Jr.-Sr. High School! The school is being honored as a National Unified Champions Together School. This national honor is in addition to the state recognition the team received in July 2024.
For those who might not be aware, Special Olympics Unified Sports is a high school program that combines students with and without intellectual disabilities on the same sports teams. At BJSHS, there are unified flag football, bowling and track and field teams.
According to the National Special Olympics organization, 'A Special Olympics Unified Champion School has an inclusive school climate and exudes a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff. A Unified Champion School receiving national banner recognition is one that has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence.'
Bruins United Coach Linda Wallace explains, “Our school has met the requirements of the state level every year since the inception of Unified Sports at Blackford. We are eligible to apply for the national award every 4 years. This is the 2nd time we have been awarded the national award. Our coaching staff, which includes Tyler McDonald and Joni Duren, would like to thank the administration, school staff and students for their support of the Unified sports program."
"This is great!" adds BJSHS Principal Jason Ridge. "I'd like to thank Mrs. Wallace and her staff for all the work they put in to make this national honor possible for BJSHS. Awesome!"
(Photos are from the 2023-2024 Bruins United season)
