How to Get involved
For more information about our Medical Form and Class A Information please follow the links below:
Special Olympics Honor Cord Program
Special Olympics Illinois is a global leader in shaping a culture where people with and without intellectual disabilities are fully integrated into the community by providing year round opportunities in competitive sports, health education, leadership and personal development. Through sports young people are agents of change to make a difference in building relationships, promoting inclusive school environments and communities. The Special Olympics Illinois Honor Cord Program is designed to recognize and honor a student’s dedication, hard work, and commitment to be part of leading the next Generation Unified. Upcoming graduating high school seniors are eligible to receive the Special Olympics Illinois honor cords prior to their high school graduation to commemorate their hard work and dedication to Special Olympics Illinois and Unified Champion Schools. In order to be considered for this honor program please fill out the following fields below with your personal information and attach an essay detailing all of the contributions that you have made to the organization at any capacity below. Some roles within the organization to consider include participating as a volunteer, athlete, or unified partner. Dive deep and discuss what’s your why? How your experiences participating with Special Olympics Illinois will help you in your future endeavors to promote courage, teamwork, and inclusion? Please submit all necessary information no later than April 30, 2023. All entries received after this date will not be taken into consideration. If selected you will receive a notification prior to the end of the school year and a date of when you will receive your honor cords prior to graduation. Thank you for all of the contributions that you have made during high school career and look forward to seeing you how you will lead Generation Unified!
YAC Application and Information
Special Olympics believes that through sports young people can make a difference in friendships, schools and communities. Unified Champion Schools is youth driven, with a Youth Activation Committee (YAC) made up of young people representing middle schools, high schools and colleges statewide. Members of the committee will work together over the course of the year to develop strategies promoting school communities where all young people are agents of change. During their time on the committee, YAC members will provide leadership to Special Olympics Illinois and Unified Champion Schools by participating in Special Olympics events, providing advice and counsel on strategies to reach other youths, engaging in and promoting Special Olympics activities in their home environments, communicating and networking via Web connectivity with other youth around the country, and reviewing UCS materials for innovation and viability. Would you like to be a member of this committee?
College Inclusion Council Application and Information
The UCS College Inclusion Council is a group of college students from all over Illinois that work to engage their College Campuses in the UCS Strategy.
IHSA SOILL Youth Leadership Certification
The IHSA SOILL Youth Leadership Certification is an opportunity for you to enhance your leadership skills while learning how to further unify your school. Find your voice and get inspired with this 10 course, 8 month self-driven opportunity!
View this flyer for more information!
Click here to register!
Choose to Include Scholarship Information
Every Spring, the Choose to Include Scholarship opens for rising Freshman through Seniors in High School. This scholarship, a total of $500 per recipient, recognizes students across the state, with and without disabilities, that have worked to demonstrate commitment to building an inclusive community and/or bullying prevention in their school and community. Applicants must be sponsored by a member of staff or faculty at their High School, by Special Olympics Illinois, or by a parent of a Special Olympics Illinois Athlete.
Applications are accepted all year and are reviewed after April 15th. Click here for more information!
What is Change for Champions?
Change for Champions is a joint Special Olympics and school program to increase funds for both Special Olympics Illinois and your school program or club! Your school can run Change for Champions at any time of the year. Money raise should be split 70-30 meaning 70% goes as a donation from your school to Special Olympics Illinois and 30% stays with your school program or club!
Interested in hosting Change for Champions at your school? Contact us at UCS@soill.org today!
National Inclusive Schools Week
National Inclusive Schools Week is an annual event held during the first full week of December. This year, NISW will be celebrated December 6 through December 10. As resources become available, we will notify your teachers and update this website!
Be on the lookout in October for more information!
Respect Week
Special Olympics Illinois Respect Week is held each year during the first week in March. In 2022, Respect Week will be held February 28 – March 4 statewide. Schools are invited to celebrate whenever fits their school schedule best!
One of the best parts about hosting a Respect Campaign of any kind, including a Respect Week, is that it can be adapted to any school environment, schedule, and culture.
We announce our Respect Theme each year at the end of October and will be sharing all of our engagement opportunities that will take place during Respect week on this website and with teachers in November.
Work with your school to plan your Respect Campaign events today! Questions on how to get started or about what other schools have done? Contact us at UCS@soill.org for help!
Outreach Opportunities
To further support your school’s Unified School programming efforts, Special Olympics Illinois will provide a limited number of Outreach Opportunities for students and staff to activate innovative projects that involve Special Olympics Unified Schools® at their school. For 2022 we have allocated over $60,000 worth of funding to be distributed directly to schools. These projects can include, but are not limited to: Unified Sports, events that promote respect, R-word activities, Get Into It activities, transportation to and from a statewide Unified event, or other creative projects. Projects must be pre-approved by Special Olympics Illinois.
The application process for Outreach Opportunities is changing this year! Applications are due for review by the 30th of each month. Special Olympics Illinois will review all applications by the 5th of each month with notifications going out to applicants by the 10th of each month. Explanation for financial distribution will be communicated to each applicant upon approval. Schools are allowed to apply for multiple Outreach Opportunities a YEAR! Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to benefit Unified Programming in your school!
Apply for your Outreach Opportunity Here!
If you have questions on Outreach Opportunities please email ucs@soill.org.
Generation Unified
GenerationUnified.org is a site created for students, by students! It contains videos, games, stories, and so much more! Scroll through and see what great things the Unified Generation is doing all over the country!
Check out Generation Unified here!