SOMO News

On Tuesday, May 7th, Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO) celebrated Poplar Bluff High School (PBHS) receiving National Banner Recognition. They are among 5 schools in Missouri that have received this award for achieving the 10 standards of excellence developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community. The celebration included a school-wide pep assembly, a Unified Basketball showcase, support from the superintendent and a mayoral proclamation.

Students and staff shared the impact inclusive programming has had on their community.

SOMO athlete Maison Dennis told the crowd “I want to emphasize something to the students, parents, principals and Mr. Mayor that we cannot stop after this. We have come so far. All the progress you see will continue to grow. We must make sure everyone understands that inclusion will never be an illusion.”

Part of what makes PBHS stand out from the crowd is its commitment to have an intergenerational leadership team comprised of administrators, teachers and students with and without disabilities making and executing a plan to prioritize inclusion. They offer a wide variety of Unified sports and leadership opportunities throughout the school year to facilitate opportunities for all students to build relationships and grow their skills.

You can read more about the National Banner Recognition Program here: https://www.specialolympics.org/what-we-do/unified-champion-schools/banner-recognition-program