VA Inclusion Projects
By clicking on the school names below you will find a description of the activities that they designed and conducted.
Elementary
Antietam Elementary School, Woodbridge, VA
- The students K-5 participated in stations that covered a specific disability (vision, hearing, LD, mobility, communication, and sensory).
- The students had conversations with teachers/staff regarding disabilities.
- The Inclusion Project provided the library with additional resources on disabilities.
- The event raised awareness of students with disabilities and their support needs.
Barack Obama Elementary School, Richmond, VA
- October was “Kindness Month,” and the school’s counselor delivered lessons on inclusion and bully prevention.
- The school calendar highlighted students with a summary of their "Inclusion Inspiration."
- Posters were put up around the school and displayed the phrase "All Are Welcome Here" in each classroom.
- Kindergarteners through second graders read books entitled "All are Welcome" by Alexandra Penfold.
- Throughout the month and beyond, teachers and additional staff members read these materials aloud to teach about and promote discussion on Inclusion.
Hollymead Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA
- Hollymead Elementary hosted a “Little Feet Meet,” a part of Special Olympics with track and field events to develop relationship and athletic skills.
- Students with disabilities were partnered with a peer without a disability and met with them several times a week to practice for events.
- They planned a pep rally and made posters for the school to put up at the track meet.
- A panel of 5th grade students who were peers shared their experience with the school.
Riverlawn Elementary School, Fairlawn, VA
- Students participated in seven stations that focused on various disabilities. At each station, participants learned through multiple hands-on activities.
- Students are more aware that it is okay to be different and accepting others.
- The school staff has a better understanding of the importance of inclusion in instructional practices.
- The community has requested these stations be available at different events such as back to school night, fall festivals, and other community-led activities.
Sealston Elementary School, King George, VA
- The Inclusion Day was to offer experiences that are both meaningful and long-lasting, with an emphasis on highlighting our students with disabilities.
- Mr. Rohan Murphy was the guest speaker and provided multiple talks over Zoom. He is a nationally known speaker and told his story of losing his legs at birth and became a professional wrestler at Penn State.
- Activities included through Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stone Spring Elementary School, Harrisonburg, VA
- The events on inclusion took place in October for Disability History and Awareness Month.
- Students with and without disabilities were paired up weekly to present announcements with facts about various disabilities, the abilities/talents of those individuals, and the message of being “better together.”
- Local university students and staff, family members of students, Central Office staff, and school staff worked together to present the information.
- Guest speakers included an author of a comic book series on children with disabilities portrayed as superheroes and an artist with quadriplegia who paints with their mouth (Mouth Artist).
Wenonah Elementary School, Waynesboro, VA
- Students learned a song about inclusion in music, read books about people with disabilities in the library, learned adapted sports in physical education, and created a grade-level project about diversity for a division-wide art display.
- Students learned about accepting and including people with disabilities in guidance to support Bullying Prevention Month.
- Students created designs for our flyers/programs and prepare speeches for the day and evening events.
- Students generated lists of questions in class to ask our panelists with disabilities on Inclusion Day.
Middle
Dublin Middle School, Dublin, VA
- Dublin Middle School hosted a week-long Inclusion Week. Each day featured a different activity and color to represent disabilities.
- The event also included guest speakers.
- Students with disabilities made banners and hung them around the school to promote the week.
- Students and staff gained an understanding, and it helped open up conversations about living with a disability.
Kenmore Middle School, Arlington, VA
- During Autism Awareness Month, students ran an inclusion campaign with their Best Buddies and hosted a disability awareness fair.
- Activities included putting up disability awareness posters throughout the school, signing the “R-word” and “Choose to Include” banners, and creating a video on the R-word, which the school broadcast featured.
- There was a school-wide assembly to celebrate the school’s accomplishment of being recognized as a National Unified Champion School by Special Olympics and ESPN.
- Students with disabilities participated in designing a t-shirt, creating and distributing posters, getting signatures for the Choose to Include banner, daily announcements leading up to the event, and planning the event.
Larkspur Middle School, Virginia Beach, VA
- The event created a team-building project consisting of general education students and students with disabilities.
- There were five different meetings with different team-building activities. Students helped in the planning and programming of the project.
- There was a field trip with an obstacle course that the students worked together to complete.
- Youth with disabilities participated on the planning committee by helping plan for the next meeting and activities.
High School
Carroll County High School, Hillsville, VA
- Youth with disabilities participated on the planning committee by offering suggestions for activities and assisting with the test run.
- Increased awareness of disabilities that exist in our community.
- The event increased awareness of assistive technology available to assist students with disabilities.
First Colonial High School., Virginia Beach, VA
- Keynote address by a Global Messenger from Special Olympics
- Round-robin activities
- A performance by students with disabilities and desserts made by FCHS work-experience students
- A closing ceremony with a game of wheelchair basketball.
- Each participant received a t-shirt designed by a team of students with and without disabilities
Frank W. Cox High School, Virginia Beach, VA
- The event had a series of three Fitness Events and invited the entire school. The event advertised it each morning on the school announcements.
- The first day was Adaptive Yoga, Followed by Zumba the next day, and then Cardio. All events took place over the lunch hour, and the event had approximately 65 students attend
Various
Bristol City Public Schools, Bristol, VA
- Camp Compassion divided fifth-grade participants into three groups. Camp Compassion Committee (CCC) students led the groups.
- Camp Compassion was highlighted in the “Bristol Herald Courier” and “VIP SEEN.”
- School staff selected six students with varying disabilities and six non-disabled students to participate on the Camp Compassion Committee.
- Students took turns facilitating the weekly meetings (seven total). They also designed the Camp Compassion t-shirts, broke into activity groups, and wrote and rehearsed the activity directions.
- The project allowed the participants, through project-based learning, to improve their peer relationships.
Sarah Dooley Center for Autism at St. Joseph’s Villa, Richmond, VA
- Promoted literacy and social skills by partnering with a local school and matching students with disabilities with peers based on age and similar interests
- Students had the opportunity to be “pen-pals” and develop writing skills through a letter or email exchange system.
- Students visited with each other for a “Buddy Reading Day” and read It’s Okay to Be Different and The Rainbow Fish
- Students had lunch and completed activities with their “buddies,” such as coloring blank puzzle pieces together, while learning the importance of acceptance and inclusion.
Radford City Public Schools, Radford, VA
- To celebrate Disability History and Awareness month, RCPS hosted a series of events throughout the month of October.
- Teachers created materials to share at group sessions to educate students on famous people with disabilities.
- Physical education teachers developed adapted lessons for students with and without disabilities.
- Hosted a wheelchair basketball game with the Charlottesville Cardinals which was covered by local news outlets.