Rehoboth School Receives National Banner Recognition

Special Olympics Massachusetts has announced that Dorothy L. Beckwith Middle School, a school with Special Olympics Unified Champion School programming, is receiving national banner recognition for its exceptional commitment to providing inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities.

This prestigious status reflects Beckwith Middle School’s success in meeting 10 national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect. Beckwith Middle School is one of only 19 in Massachusetts and among 202 schools nationwide to achieve this honor for the 2023-24 school year.

“We are incredibly proud of our student athletes, coaches, volunteers, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators at Beckwith for collaboratively cultivating a school environment where every individual feels genuinely included and respected,” said Principal Stephen Donovan.

Carol Jerauld serves as the Beckwith Middle School Unified Coordinator.

“In my 35 years of coaching the students of Dighton and Rehoboth, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, but coaching Unified sports is in a league of its own,” Jerauld said. “I’m immensely proud of the work that we’ve done over the past seven seasons to receive this honor.”

The Unified Champion Schools model is a strategic framework for schools Pre-K through university that promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments, utilizing three interconnected components: Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement. As many as 16 million young people are taking part in inclusive experiences through Special Olympics.

In Massachusetts, more than 369 schools are involved in Unified Champion Schools  programming, and across the United States, 10,000 schools, including those in the 49 states, the District Columbia, and Puerto Rico, are engaged in this initiative. The Unified Champion Schools program aims to expand to 20,000 schools by 2030.