The noise at Fife High School’s gymnasium this week was so loud that you had to yell in your neighbor’s ear just to be heard.
The student body gathered to cheer on their basketball team. And no one cared who won or lost. That’s because Fife’s Unified Basketball team is made up of students with and without disabilities, and making the student athletes feel like they belonged on the court was more important than winning.
Gov. Jay Inslee congratulated Fife High School students and educators Wednesday during a school assembly for winning a national award, saying all Washington schools need to follow Fife’s lead and embrace the spirit of inclusivity. ESPN and Special Olympics chose Fife High School as one of the top five schools in the nation that uphold the 10 national standards for student inclusion. A “unified school” is a school where students with and without disabilities play together.
Read the rest of the story on the governor's Medium page.