Southern California PROJECT UNIFY 1 ®

WELCOME

Mission The mission of Special Olympics Southern California is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic- type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Southern California Why Unify?

2.8 million K-12 students in the U.S. have some kind of disability – intellectual, physical, learning, or other. Only 31% of students with an Intellectual Disability take academic classes with their peers. Only 10% Of students without disabilities report having a friend with an Intellectual Disability. Numbers

Project UNIFY® National Project Launched by Special Olympics, Inc. Supported by the U.S. Department of Education

Project UNIFY® Utilizing the sports and education initiatives of Special Olympics, Project UNIFY®: Activates young people to be agents of change Fosters respect and dignity for people with intellectual disabilities Changes actions and attitudes among their peers without intellectual disabilities 7 / Special Olympics Southern California

Inclusive Sports Student engagement through sports experience

Youth Leadership Young people taking the lead to educate communities of respect and inclusion

School Engagement Whole-school awareness

Bullying of students with intellectual disabilities, are bullied or victimized once a week or more. 9% 60% of students with disabilities reported being bullied compared to 25 percent of the general student population. 2-3x Only 10 studies have been conducted in the United States on bullying and developmental disabilities. All studies found that children with disabilities were two to three times more likely to be victims of bullying than their nondisabled peers.

77% of students felt they learned they have things in common with their peers with Intellectual Disabilities 84% of participating students said Project UNIFY was a positive turning point in their lives 84% Of students felt they learned the pro-social skills of patience and compromise Impact

Why Pledge VIDEO