Glendale honored for work with Special Olympics Missouri

 

Glendale High School was recognized by Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO) with the Show Me Excellence Award, a state-level honor presented to Unified Champion Schools that demonstrate exceptional leadership and commitment to inclusion.

“Glendale High School has inclusion built in as part of its tradition,” said Jennie Randolph, Special Olympics Missouri Unified Champion Schools manager. “From events like the Flock Olympics to simply the friendship that buddies build with their partners, it’s about creating meaningful friendships that go beyond one event or game.”

As a model SOMO Unified Champion School, Glendale successfully incorporated all three core components of the program: inclusive youth leadership, whole school engagement and unified sports and activities. Glendale regularly hosts whole-school initiatives that bring students together and celebrate belonging, including Fans in the Stands, Respect Rally/Assembly, Unified Sports Pep Rally and the Spread the Word: Inclusion Campaign each March.

Glendale students also participate in a wide variety of Unified athletics and activities, including 

Unified Basketball, Unified Golf, Unified Kickball, Unified Soccer, Unified Theatre and Unified Track & Field — providing meaningful opportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities to compete, collaborate and build lasting friendships.