Carroll College was selected as the Outstanding Unified Champion School of the Year. This distinguished service award is awarded to a K-12 or college-level Unified Champion School that effectively and successfully embraces Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement. Carroll College was recognized as the Outstanding Unified Champion School at the Special Olympics State basketball tournament during the Opening Ceremonies on November 7, 2024.
The Special Olympics Club at Carroll College has a shared commitment to breaking down barriers and fostering a more inclusive society, transforming lives and sending a ripple of inspiration throughout their entire community. The club embraces inclusion and unity in all their UCS activities, competitions, and relationships. They partner with a community Special Olympics team as unified partners for basketball, bowling, soccer, and track and field, competing alongside athletes, supporting and encouraging them the entire time.
The Special Olympic Club hosts several events throughout the year to promote unity and inclusion, which fosters lasting friendships. These events include holiday-themed inclusive activities, craft nights, baking activities, dances, inclusive rally events, signing days, the Down Syndrome Awareness Day walk, and the inclusion of Special Olympic athletes at home sporting events. Carroll has applied for the Youth Innovation Grant from Special Olympics North America to help fund these fun events.
The unified club is entirely student-run, and their executive board includes three Special Olympics athletes. Carroll is the only college in Montana to participate in Virtual College Championship Week and the only one designated as a Unified Champion National Banner School. The banner hangs in the P.E. Center alongside the other National Championship athletic banners. The club has placed in the College Championship Week both nationally and in the western division since 2021. In addition, they placed third in the nation and 1st in the Western division in 2023 and 2024.
Carroll’s Special Olympics Club reaches young adult/college-age individuals in Helena’s tri-county area. Carroll’s club provides an avenue for friendships and relationships with the athletes to form in a non- traditional school setting. Additionally, several club members serve on the Games Management Team (GMT) for State Basketball when it is hosted in Helena. The club works closely with the Special Olympics Montana UCS Department to give feedback on how UCS can be applied to higher education in Montana and nationwide.