We’re thrilled to announce that The Help Group has been officially recognized by Special Olympics Southern California as a Unified Champion School—a milestone that celebrates our commitment to inclusive athletics and peer leadership across all grade levels.

This designation comes on the heels of an inspiring expansion of our eight-year collaboration with Harvard-Westlake Upper School. In addition to our annual Unified Field Day, this spring we added a Unified Basketball Game, bringing high school partners together on the court for spirited, side-by-side competition. And thanks to our new partnership with Curtis School Elementary, we’ve extended Unified play to younger learners—complete with obstacle courses, team-movement activities, and impromptu dance-alongs that had students talking about friendship and positivity well after they went home.

These Unified events aren’t just about sports—they’re living classrooms in empathy and belonging. Whether students are mastering track drills, coaching one another through flag-football plays, or cheering each other on at the free-throw line, they’re learning the power of respect, teamwork, and genuine connection, and forging friendships that bridge differences and uplift everyone involved.

As a new Unified Champion School, The Help Group will deepen our partnerships—creating more leadership roles, shared social activities, and community showcases that put inclusion front and center. We’re excited to build on these successes, because when students of all abilities come together through the joy of play, we all become stronger, kinder, and more unified.