EDWARDSVILLE - Students at Edwardsville High School came together to recognize the Special Olympics program.
On Friday, March 7, 2025, EHS’s Special Olympics team was honored with the Unified Champion Schools National Banner Award. This is the second time EHS has been recognized with this award, joining only four other schools in the State of Illinois that have received the award twice.
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“It’s really prestigious,” said Kayla Magruder, who oversees the Special Olympics program at EHS.
Magruder explained that schools can be named Unified Champion Schools once every four years. She said “only a handful” of schools in Illinois receive the National Banner Award once, let alone twice.
Schools must meet ten national standards of excellence to receive the Unified Champion Schools National Banner Award. For EHS to achieve this twice speaks to their commitment to inclusivity and their dedication to the Special Olympics program.
Before the award presentation on March 7, the Unified football, dance and basketball teams showcased their skills to an audience of EHS students. Magruder said one of the national standards emphasizes full-school engagement, which they demonstrated with the student body audience.
She shared that the school has become more inclusive in recent years, and she is proud of how EHS has grown to support their classmates. She noted that all students are welcome to participate in Unified Sports.
“I actually went to school here,” she added. “I graduated in 2012, and the entire culture and climate of the school has changed. They're so supportive of everybody and including of everybody. Our students feel more seen, more valued, more protected at school, and they're part of the community, just like everybody else.”
Following this recognition, Magruder and her students hope to see the program grow.
