Hoggard High School receiving Special Olympics national banner recognition

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Special Olympics North Carolina has announced six Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools in North Carolina are receiving national banner recognition, including one in the Cape Fear.

Hoggard High School in New Hanover County made the list for their efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities for the 2023-2024 school year, according to SONC President/CEO Keith L. Fishburne.

Schools are receiving this distinguished status as a result of meeting 10 national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy and respect. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community, according to a press release.

Nearly 600 schools are currently participating in Unified Champion Schools programming in North Carolina, as part of 8,300 schools across the country engaged in the program. Unified Champion Schools aims to expand to 10,000 schools by the end of the 2023-2024 school year.