Three Long Island Schools Recognized as National Banner Schools, Showing What Inclusion Looks Like

Three Long Island schools are being recognized nationally for creating school communities where students of all abilities can learn, compete, lead, and grow together.

Connetquot High School, Jericho High School and Longwood Central School District have each been recognized as Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion Schools, honoring their commitment to inclusion through Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership and whole-school engagement.

While each school has developed its own approach, their programs share a common goal: making inclusion part of everyday school life, both on and off the playing field.

Connetquot High School

At Connetquot, that commitment extends well beyond traditional Unified Sports. Students participate in Unified Basketball and Bowling, as well as Unified Physical Education, giving students opportunities to connect during the school day and through extracurricular activities.

The school has also brought the Unified Champion Schools philosophy into the classroom through Unified Literature and Music. Its Choose to Include Day has become a major school-wide effort, with students spending months preparing and planning the event.

“Connetquot takes its commitment to Unified Sports one step further,” Emily Mohlin, Associate Director of Development of the Long Island office, wrote in her endorsement of the school. “The mission of UCS is embedded in Connetquot’s school culture, even beyond its sports teams and clubs.”

That culture is continuing to grow, with conversations already underway about expanding Unified opportunities into the elementary and middle school levels.

Jericho High School

At Jericho High School, inclusion has grown through four years of Unified Sports and Unified Club programming. Students participate in Unified Basketball and Bowling while also working alongside the Best Buddies Club to create friendships and leadership opportunities for students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities take on leadership roles, help run meetings and announce at games. Leadership positions rotate throughout the year, giving more students the opportunity to have a voice in their school community.

For Zachary, a Jericho student with an intellectual disability, those opportunities have made a lasting difference. His mother, Julie Rosbash, has watched her son become more confident through his four years with Unified Sports.

“Zachary has enjoyed being part of a team and wearing the school colors,” Rosbash wrote. “He has been able to connect with so many new students in the school that he normally would not see or interact with.”

Jericho’s commitment also reaches throughout the school. Students with and without disabilities have helped lead Choose to Include activities and Fans in the Stands events, while the student-run Cool Beans café has become another space for students to interact and take on leadership roles.

Brett Kornblum, Athletic Director for the Jericho Union Free School District, said the impact of Unified programming has gone beyond competition.

“The impact of Unified programming has extended far beyond competition, helping foster school connectedness, leadership opportunities, empathy, and a stronger sense of community among all students,” Kornblum wrote.

Longwood Central School District

At Longwood, inclusion reaches across an entire seven-school district. At the high school level, Longwood offers Unified Basketball, Bowling and Topgolf.

But Longwood’s commitment to inclusion extends past just the high school. Elementary schools host Disability Awareness Days, where students from special education programs share their experiences with younger students. The district also participates in Athletics for All, bringing students of all abilities together for inclusive athletic events throughout the school year.

For Longwood senior and Best Buddies chapter president Angelina Hauser, moments like these reflect what inclusion has become at her school.

“In a big school like Longwood, it is easy to stay in your own circle,” Hauser wrote. “Unified Sports and Best Buddies change that.”

She has seen students from other Longwood athletic teams fill the stands at Unified games, cheering alongside classmates, teachers, coaches and families.

“It shows that Unified Sports is not just a small program,” Hauser wrote. “It is something our whole school community stands behind.”

For the families and students involved, that sense of belonging is at the heart of the experience.

Longwood parent and Special Education PTO President Jennifer Keisner described the impact simply: “They build confidence, create lasting friendships, and provide students with experiences that make them feel seen, supported, and proud of who they are.”

The National Banner recognition celebrates the work already taking place at Connetquot, Jericho and Longwood, but their programs demonstrate that inclusion is not limited to a single team, event or school year. Through athletics, classrooms, clubs, leadership opportunities and school-wide traditions, these three Long Island communities are creating more opportunities for students to connect with one another and experience the full life of their schools.

Their recognition as National Banner Unified Champion Schools is a celebration of that work and of the students, educators, families and communities continuing to make inclusion a reality.

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