EXAMPLE WEEK: OPTIONS: Play Unified at your school! You can incorporate any of these ideas into your Play Unified week. • Host a Unified basketball game during half time • Have a social media hour where you invite • students to post about their #PlayUnified week • Hold an R-Word banner signing where students can pledge to end the use of the R-Word and • promote respect throughout your school • Play a video from Special Olympics Minnesota (SOMN) during your school announcements • featuring Unified Sports or the Polar Plunge • Have a Global Messenger (a Special Olympics athlete who is trained in public speaking) out at your school to speak about Special Olympics, the R-Word campaign or Unified Sports • Challenge your students to pledge online to end the use of the R-Word • Host a registration day where students sign up • online to participate in the Cool School Polar Plunge • Have a Plunge Day where students sport their awesome Plunge costumes to school Here’s an example of a Play Unified week that your student leaders can organize. Monday: During your morning announcements, talk about the Play Unified campaign and what the week will look like for your school. Tuesday: Show a Polar Plunge video during your morning announcements so that students can get excited for the Cool School Plunge! Wednesday: Have a Global Messenger out to speak on behalf of SOMN and about Unified Sports. Thursday: Host a Unified Basketball game during halftime. Having your crowd watch the game and cheer on those competing will mean the world to SOMN athletes! Students can share their experience on social media by tagging #PlayUnified and @SOMinnesota. Friday: Sport your Plunge costume at school while snapping photos and posting on social media. Your students can use their creativity while tagging #PLUNGEMN and @PlungeMN. Today would be the perfect day to have your students register for the Cool School Plunge! Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program that combines individuals with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Unified Sports creates an inclusive and positive school climate and is supported by the National Federation of State High School Associations.