39 UAE students, teachers and schools were awarded across various categories 

Dubai, June 10, 2022: Special Olympics UAE hosted the Unified Champion Schools (UCS) Awarding Ceremony recognising schools, students and teachers dedicated to championing inclusion in school communities. 

The virtual event was the first award showcase for all the programmes under the umbrella of UCS, which drive inclusion for People of Determination with intellectual and developmental disabilities in mainstream schools. The 39 award categories encompass sports, leadership, impact and sustainable inclusion. 

Students and schools from Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE) were widely represented in the awarding ceremony for demonstrating outstanding participation in implementing inclusion through UCS programmes and activities this academic year along with private schools across the UAE. More than 200 schools that achieved Unified School status for the second term, by implementing one Unified Sport, were announced.

The UCS Awarding Ceremony also included the announcement of the winners of the Unified Robotics competition.

Held in partnership with Atlab and supported by KPMG, the Unified Robotics 2022 competition season recorded the highest participation to date with 700 neurodiverse students and mainstream peers from 153 UAE schools competing together to complete robotics missions. 

This year is the first awards showcase of outstanding athletes, partners, teachers, team leaders and schools that have exemplified inclusion in implementing Unified Sports while creating opportunities for leadership in innovation, impact, exposure and sustainability. 

Among the winners is Hoda Attie of Al Aasimah School C1 C2, Abu Dhabi who won the Best Outstanding Teacher award.

Over 400 schools in the UAE have participated in the Special Olympics global flagship Unified Champion Schools programme in its first academic year of implementation at a nationwide scale. Registration for UCS Program is open throughout the academic year via the Special Olympics UAE website. To learn more on how your school can participate, visit www.specialolympics.ae.