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COLUMN: Unified Program Opens Doors for Students at SSHS

Unified Sports is an international program aimed at students with special needs and exceptionalities. As a branch of the Special Olympics, it organizes tournaments for athletes of all skill levels and aims to deconstruct harmful stereotypes about those with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Students play without any scorekeeping, which frees them from the pressure of winning or losing. The program has engaged more than a million people across the world and continues to branch out, expanding its mission of inclusion to reach even more students. One such branch has found its way to St. Stephen High School.

In the fall of 2023, Jake Estabrooks joined the staff at SSHS. Between teaching English and Tech classes, he wanted to make a difference within the school. Estabrooks had a history with the Unified program, having initially co-founded a branch at Simonds High School as an extension of the Best Buddies program. “When I got the job here, I decided to bring it down and introduce it to Mr. Higgins,” he says. “We worked together to make it happen.” The past year has seen St. Stephen’s Unified mentor numbers triple, and the school has received sponsorship for baseball equipment from the Jays Care Foundation. Above all, it has spread an important message of community and inclusion.

The Unified program strengthens its students’ ties to the school in more than one way. Awareness and conversations about disabilities have increased within the school culture, and a very positive shift in attitudes can be observed. Aside from regular practices, the Unified team partners with the Sports and Recreation Leadership class here at SSHS. Once a week, the class oversees activities, strengthening their mentor abilities and forming relationships. Jacob and Matthew are two Unified students who have been having a blast at practices. Both nodded very enthusiastically when asked if they enjoyed the program and said it was “very good.” Jacob added that all his best friends are in Unified, and then sneakily tricked the interviewer into thinking her shoe was untied.

Many students in Unified who may have felt isolated from their peers are now being welcomed by the student body, with post-game high fives and congratulations regularly exchanged in the hallways. Nothing better exemplifies this than what Estabrooks states as his favourite memory of the program: the entire student body attending a Unified basketball tournament last March. “It was the first tournament that we had at St. Stephen: Every player when they made a basket and the entire crowd cheered and the look on their face and how excited they were to have an entire community rallying behind them”.

Fostering this connection does more than just improve school spirit. Although dropout rates have been falling, roughly 800 New Brunswick students finished school without graduating in 2022. The majority cited their reason for dropping out as ‘personal problems’: a category that includes lack of interest in school. Studies by Statistics Canada and other organizations also find that students involved in athletics and extracurriculars are less likely to drop out than their peers. This is especially relevant for special needs students, who may not be able to participate in conventional athletic programs. Extracurricular programs like Unified are a means of opening this closed door. By engaging students with disabilities, it can boost their enthusiasm about school and increase their chances of academic success.

With so much community support, what are the next steps? As for the future of Unified here in St. Croix, it is filled with nothing but promise. Estabrooks hopes to establish branches at other local schools and has been meeting with educators to make it happen. Plans to bring Unified to Fundy Middle and High School, in St. George, are well underway. We may also see additions to the list of offered sports, such as soccer, or programs available to younger students in the coming years. Whatever happens, Unified will continue to brighten the days of students and staff at SSHS.

Lana Harrell is a student journalist who runs St. Stephen High School’s yearbook and founded its monthly newsletter. She has also written for the St. Croix Courier! She will be attending the University of King’s College next fall to begin a Bachelor of Arts. In her spare time, Lana enjoys reading, crochet, and jewelry-making.

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