PR93136

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Affirming a historic initiative to advance inclusive development for youth of

all abilities, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) has awarded Special

Olympics $8,500,000 USD to launch the Global Campaign for Inclusion in support

of individuals with intellectual disabilities. This partnership will elevate

awareness of the transformative power of Special Olympics' inclusive

programming worldwide and empower youth to help drive a global policy effort to

support inclusion in schools and communities.

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"We are honored to gain the continued support of the Stavros Niarchos

Foundation to bring to the world a Global Campaign for Inclusion that rejects

and counters the divisive words of political extremes. The Special Olympics'

message of inclusion is one of acceptance of difference that touches hundreds

of millions of children and youth around the world," said Tim Shriver, Chair of

the Special Olympics International Board of Directors. "Our athletes and the

youth of today have voices that deserve consideration. Their message is

apolitical, non-polarizing—it is one of solidarity, unity and hope that will

see us through this divisive time in human history."

This new three-year grant will build on SNF's support since 1998 by expanding

Special Olympics' Unified Schools program, which embeds inclusive sports and

inclusive youth leadership in school settings. The expansion will reach almost

3,000 schools in 22 countries. In addition, the grant will launch both a robust

thought leadership campaign on the theme of inclusion as well as the creation

of the first-ever Global Coalition for Inclusion and Education, a coalition of

national governments, United Nations agencies, foreign aid agencies and

Foundations whose aim it is to strengthen social inclusion globally through

education.  

"SNF seeks to support lasting social change for the better, and Special

Olympics has a proven record of helping create permanent shifts in mindset that

ripple outward from individuals to schools, families, communities, and

nations," said SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos. "Committed and energized

young people of all abilities are showing us the way to a more inclusive

future. SNF is proud to be part of the effort to amplify their voices while

delivering key services in schools worldwide."

Through Play Unified: Learn Unified, Special Olympics and SNF have transformed

school settings into communities of acceptance and inclusion. Since 2018, Play

Unified: Learn Unified has reached over 190,000 youth with and without

intellectual disabilities in 14 countries, generating evidence that Unified

Schools programming is a powerful tool for fostering inclusive mindsets and

behaviors:

    -- 8 out of 10 teachers believe that Unified Schools has positively

       impacted their school climate.

    -- 94 percent of schools reported that Unified Schools programming has

       reduced bullying, teasing and offensive language.

    -- Students in Greece were nine times more apt to believe they can learn

       from people unlike themselves, and nine times more apt to believe they

       can make their school a better place.

Building off the success of Play Unified: Learn Unified, Special Olympics and

SNF will launch the Global Campaign for Inclusion, elevating a youth-led

message of inclusion to the thought leaders who shape mainstream public

discourse and convene a Global Leadership Coalition for Education and

Inclusion, propelling more communities toward a shared commitment to inclusion

and the celebration of our common humanity.

About Special Olympics

Founded in 1968 (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3361709-1&h=2997461674&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.specialolympics.org%2Fabout%2Fhistory&a=Founded+in+1968), Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people

with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the

power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With more

than six million athletes and Unified Sports partners in over 201 countries and

territories and more than one million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics

delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and over 100,000 games and

competitions in a typical year. Engage with us on: Twitter (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3361709-1&h=4267935408&u=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FSpecialOlympics&a=Twitter),

Facebook (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3361709-1&h=3324799678&u=http%3A%2F%2Ffb.com%2Fspecialolympics&a=Facebook),

YouTube (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3361709-1&h=1102413685&u=http%3A%2F%2Fyoutube.com%2Fspecialolympicshq&a=YouTube),

Instagram (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3361709-1&h=3720188491&u=http%3A%2F%2Finstagram.com%2Fspecialolympics&a=Instagram),

LinkedIn (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3361709-1&h=3442144002&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fspecial-olympics%2F&a=LinkedIn%C2%A0) and our blog on Medium (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3361709-1&h=600539559&u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2Fspecialolympics&a=our+blog+on+Medium). Learn more at www.SpecialOlympics.org.

About the Stavros Niarchos Foundation

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) is one of the world's leading private,

international philanthropic organizations, making grants to nonprofit

organizations in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports,

and social welfare SNF funds organizations and projects worldwide that aim to

achieve a broad, lasting, and positive impact for society at large, and exhibit

strong leadership and sound management. The Foundation also supports projects

that facilitate the formation of public-private partnerships as an effective

means for serving public welfare. Since 1996, the Foundation has committed more

than $3.2 billion through over 5,000 grants to nonprofit organizations in more

than 135 countries around the world. See more at SNF.org (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3361709-1&h=3917301138&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.snf.org%2F&a=SNF.org).

SOURCE Special Olympics

CONTACT: Jason Teitler, jteitler@specialolympics.org