WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Hartford High School received national recognition on Tuesday, April 8, as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, joining a distinguished group of only seven schools in Vermont to earn the honor.
The school was presented with a National banner award during a ceremony ahead of its Unified Basketball game against Rutland High School, another nationally recognized Unified Champion School. The event, held in the Hartford High gymnasium, celebrated the school’s commitment to inclusion, advocacy, and respect through Unified sports and activities.
‘We just can’t put it into words’
Athletic Director Jeff Moreno shared the impact of the award during the ceremony. “What this means to us and our community and our students and our school, we just can’t put it into words,” Moreno said. “We’re really proud of the banners that we put in this gym — this one, without question, is the one we could be and should be the most proud of.”
Hartford High met all 10 standards of excellence required for National Banner recognition from Special Olympics. These standards include offering inclusive sports, promoting youth leadership, and fostering a school climate that promotes acceptance and inclusion for all students.
Driven by student leadership
While the school’s achievement reflects a broad collective effort, much of the momentum behind the initiative came from recent graduate Maggie Lane, who was deeply passionate about bringing Unified programs to her school. Her commitment helped transform the school’s culture and helped build strong partnerships between students with and without intellectual disabilities.
Part of a growing movement
Hartford High joins over 60 Vermont schools in the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools program, which uses inclusive sports, youth leadership, and whole-school engagement to build more accepting school communities. The program’s success is evident throughout the state, particularly during the Vermont Principals’ Association’s Unified Basketball season. This varsity-level sport brings together athletes of all abilities from 20 schools for competitive games and community-building events.
Tuesday’s banner presentation highlighted the impact of inclusion in athletics and beyond — a message embraced by both the Hartford and Rutland communities.
For more information about Unified Champion Schools, visit: specialolympics.org.
