Plainfield Middle School Named to 2025 Unified Champion Schools ESPN Honor Roll
Plainfield Community Middle School today was named the 2025 ESPN Honor Roll recipient for Indiana. Each year, ESPN and Special Olympics North America honor one school from each state that goes above and beyond in creating a culture of inclusion, advocacy and respect for students with and without intellectual disabilities.
Plainfield Community Middle School and four other Indiana schools last month received Unified Champion Schools® national banner recognition from Special Olympics North America. These schools earned this distinguished status as a result of meeting 10 national standards of excellence developed by a panel of national leaders from Special Olympics and educators.
“It’s an incredible honor to receive the award and be recognized for our actions, but we are most proud of the change we’ve noticed in our school culture and our community,” Plainfield Community Middle School Athletic Director and Unified Sports Director Nathan Ellis said. “ Seeing all of our students participating in sports, being included at school dances and getting high fives in the hallway is what it’s all about. We are proud to be leaders in the inclusive revolution and encourage others to do the same.”
“Plainfield Community Middle School embodies what it means to be a Unified Champion School,” said Jeff Mohler, President and CEO of Special Olympics Indiana. “Its commitment to inclusion, respect and teamwork has created a school culture where every student feels valued. Earning a place on the ESPN Honor Roll is a remarkable achievement and a reflection of the powerful impact that Unified programs can have on an entire community.”
Along with Plainfield Community Middle School, the schools earning national banner recognition were:
- Bedford North Lawrence High School
- DeKalb High School
- Evansville North High School
- Park Elementary School (Fairmount, Ind.)
The primary activities within these standards include inclusive youth leadership opportunities, whole school engagement and Special Olympics Unified Sports®, where students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates. Utilizing these three interconnected components has been shown to create accepting school environments.
More than 600 Indiana schools currently participate in the Unified Champion Schools® program. They are part of 12,000 schools that take part nationwide.
The Unified Champion Schools model is supported by the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. This model has been proven, through research, to be an effective and replicable means of providing students with and without disabilities the opportunity to form positive social relationships and promote a socially inclusive school climate.
Learn more about the program at SOindiana.org/unified-champion-schools.
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About Special Olympics Indiana
Special Olympics Indiana is a nonprofit organization that is part of the global Special Olympics movement, created by the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation for the benefit of persons with intellectual disabilities. Its vision is an inclusive world, driven by the power of sport, through which people with intellectual disabilities live active, healthy, and fulfilling lives.