Media Contact: Lindsey Goudreau, Marketing Communications Specialist (207) 443-8330 | lgoudreau@cityofbath.com
Bath, ME (October 8, 2020) - Morse High School has been named one of four Maine Schools to receive national recognition as a Special Olympics’ Class of 2020 National Banner Unified Champion School.
Unified Champion Schools are identified based on an inclusive school climate that emphasizes collaboration, engagement, and respect for all members of the student body and staff. National Banner schools are further recognized for demonstrating commitment to 10 national standards of excellence, standards which were developed by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community.
Morse Athletic Director/Dean of Students Nathan Priest called the honor “tremendous” and a reflection on the work of Charles “Charlie” Bingham and Rebecca “Becky” Roak, physical education teachers and coaches at Morse.
“Over the past couple of years Charlie and Becky have done some amazing work on inclusivity. They’ve made presentations to the student body, organized several unified sports teams, and engaged youth leaders who now champion the program,” Priest said.
Lisa Bird, Director of Public Relations and Youth Initiatives at Special Olympics Maine, said that it’s incredible how quickly Morse rose through the Unified Champion School program. “They (Morse) have only been involved for 3 or 4 years. A lot of schools that have achieved the National Banner have been with us since the beginning. The administration jumped right on board, and they found two outstanding leaders in Charlie and Becky.”
###