Public School 721M Becomes First High School in New York City to Earn Highest National Recognition for Student Inclusion

ESPN & Special Olympics Present Unified Champion School with National Banner

New York, NY – ESPN and Special Olympics New York today presented Public School 721M with New York City’s first-ever national banner, recognizing the school as a leader in Unified Champion Schools® programming and student inclusion. The distinction marks the highest level of achievement for Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® in the nation.

In a Unified Champion School, students with and without intellectual disabilities play on the same sports teams. They also lead events and activities throughout the year that encourage all students to practice and value inclusion. At more than 340 Unified Champion Schools throughout New York, the program is reducing bullying and teasing, overturning negative stereotypes and spurring healthy social interactions.

ESPN is the Global Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports, having proudly supported Unified Sports since 2013. 721M was one of five Unified Champion Schools named to the Northeast region of Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools on the 2024 ESPN Honor Roll, which was announced on ESPN’s SportsCenter set last fall.

“There are more than 10,000 Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools across the country, and national banner status is reserved for the best of the best,” said Special Olympics New York President and CEO Stacey Hengsterman. “We are incredibly proud to recognize 721M for its leadership in creating a school environment where inclusion, tolerance and acceptance of all students is the norm. Congratulations and the biggest of thank yous to NYC Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos as well as the school communities at 721M, City As a School and Harvest Collegiate.”

“This historic milestone represents the very best of who we are as a school system, one that celebrates the unique gifts of every student and provides support so that they can thrive,” said Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. “At New York City Public Schools, we are committed to building inclusive learning environments where differences are not just accepted but valued. I am proud of the students, educators, and families at 721M who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging.”

“ESPN is proud to join Special Olympics New York in recognizing 721M as the recipient of New York City’s first-ever national banner school for meeting national standards of excellence in inclusion, advocacy and respect,” said Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN Corporate Citizenship. “We know sports can make a tremendous difference in a young person’s life, and we are so inspired by the students of Public School 721M for promoting and championing social inclusion for all within their community.”

721M Coach Joe Stewart has been involved with Special Olympics for 20 years and is proud of the work done both on and off the field. He said, “The Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® program has been a game changer for the entire school community of 721M. Over the years, we have watched students who previously felt excluded transform into the City Hawks and develop into proud, dignified, and confident student-athletes. Many have even excelled at the highest levels of national and international competition. They opened their arms to invite peers without intellectual disabilities to join the City Hawks and ‘Play Unified.’ The City Hawks Unified Sports program has spread to all aspects of our school community, developing a framework of how District 75 schools can provide inclusive programming with their collocated schools. The City Hawks have taught us all that inclusion is not something done for them, it is something done with them.”

“721M students and our Unified partners never cease to push themselves to provide the very best to all the activities they engage in together. I have been honored to witness true teamwork, accountability, brotherhood, and sisterhood,” said 721M Principal, Junie Louis-Jean Almonord. “Most importantly, we as a school community have witnessed invaluable gains that have impacted students academically, socially, and emotionally. We at 721M are so proud of our students, coaches, and support staff. We are thrilled to receive recognition as a national banner school, and we know that we will continue to bridge students from all walks of life every day with the support of Special Olympics.”

A Unified Champion School receiving national banner recognition is one that has demonstrated the highest commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 standards of excellence. The standards were developed by a panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community nationally. The primary activities within these standards include: Special Olympics Unified Sports® (where students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates), Inclusive Youth Leadership, and Whole School Engagement. To achieve banner status, Unified Champion Schools must also demonstrate that they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future.

Through a partnership between Special Olympics New York and NYC Public Schools expanded in 2023, Special Olympics programming is now available to students throughout the country’s largest school district, including competitive unified sports in every sports season and professional development opportunities for faculty interested in coaching.

If you don’t have this in your school, you should! Click here to get started, or send an email to unified@nyso.org.

SHARE THIS: