Two Westmoreland County schools were recognized by the Special Olympics for offering inclusive programming for students of all abilities.

Mt. Pleasant and Hempfield Area high schools are two of 11 schools in the state to receive national recognition for their Unified Champion Schools programs — where students in special and regular education classes compete together in sports such as bocce and track and field.

Since its founding by the Special Olympics about 13 years ago, the Unified program has spread to almost 500 schools across the state and about 19.5 million young people in pre-K through university.

More than 200 schools were nationally recognized this year.

To be recognized, schools must offer Unified sports in at least two seasons and a Unified club that provides leadership opportunities for special and regular education students.

Students of all abilities must also collaborate to plan at least two activities that engage the entire school.

Franklin Regional and Norwin high schools were recertified for national recognition this year after first receiving it in 2020. Schools need to reapply every four years to maintain the title.

‘It’s become such a big thing so fast’

Hempfield autistic support teacher Amanda Montell can hardly believe how the Unified program has grown over the past decade.

Montell helped bring Unified track and field to Hempfield when she first came to the district in 2015. She also founded a Caring Hands club that year, which unites special and regular education students for holiday events, after-school activities and field trips.

The school started a Unified bocce team last year and plans to launch this fall a club flag football team for students of all abilities, Montell said.

“It’s become such a big thing so fast,” she said. “I’m very proud of our kids and our student body.”

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The Unified track and field team draws about 20 athletes each year, Montell said. The Caring Hands club has about 50 members.

The Unified programs have made the school’s 290 special education students feel included and welcomed in the student body, said learning support teacher Lisa Trabucco. But they have also encouraged regular education students to connect with the peers they don’t see in class every day.

“(There’s) definitely (been) a change in the way the regular ed population has been interacting with the special ed students. They’re not as intimidated,” she said. “And they want to be involved in everything to help promote our students. It’s becoming a nice community for everyone.”

‘It’s been a real blessing’

Mt. Pleasant’s Unified programs have grown exponentially in the four years William Myers has taught learning support classes at the high school.

Mt. Pleasant has a long-standing Unified track and field team that draws about 25 athletes each year. The school launched a Unified bocce team with 10 players last year.

Mt. Pleasant’s Blue Shirts program gathers nearly 80 students to assist special education students throughout the school day.

“It’s been a real blessing to have a lot of students here,” Myers said of the program engagement.

Myers has the same goal every year for the school’s Unified programs: to keep growing.

“Everything we do, we do it for our students,” Myers said. “It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of time away from the normal job to invest, but you see the amount of effort and time our students give with all of our kids.”

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