Marathon Middle High School has been nationally recognized as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, earning a prestigious National Banner on January 23, an achievement that typically takes schools five years or more to accomplish. Marathon Middle High reached this milestone in just two years, underscoring the school’s strong commitment to inclusion, leadership, and whole-school engagement.
The National School Recognition Program honors schools that foster an inclusive climate marked by collaboration, respect, and meaningful participation for all students. Unified Champion Schools demonstrate excellence across three core areas: Special Olympics Unified Sports®, Inclusive Youth Leadership, and Whole-School Engagement, while also showing a clear plan for long-term sustainability.
To earn national banner status, schools must meet ten rigorous standards of excellence, developed by a national panel of education and Special Olympics leaders. Marathon Middle High met or exceeded all ten standards, including:
Offering Unified Sports in multiple seasons, with trained coaches and official school recognition
Maintaining an inclusive student leadership group that meets regularly and provides leadership opportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities
Hosting school-wide engagement activities that promote awareness, respect, and inclusion across the entire campus
Demonstrating a sustainability plan to ensure Unified programming remains a permanent part of the school’s culture
Research shows that when all three components, sports, leadership, and engagement, are implemented together, schools see a deeper, lasting impact on both individual students and overall school climate. Marathon Middle High’s success reflects a collaborative effort involving students, teachers, administrators, and families working toward a shared vision of belonging.
This recognition places Marathon Middle High among a select group of schools nationwide that are leading the way in inclusive education and student leadership.
For information on how you can join Marathon's Special Olympics team of volunteers, contact Cathy Warner. For more information about Unified Champion Schools, visit Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools.