Have you heard about Play Unified? Maybe you have seen some of the ECLC students around school or maybe you are a part of the club! Play Unified is a program that promotes inclusion and bringing students together, no matter who they are. With Play Unified, students with and without intellectual disabilities can come together and participate in numerous activities. Students from ECLC ages 12-21 meet with Chatham High School students and form new relationships and respect for one another.
Olivia Perlmutter, a 2014 graduate of CHS, formed Teens Connecting with Teens in 2011. Since then, the club has grown and now has over 200 dedicated members who participate in the several events hosted by the club. In 2016, Teens Connecting with Teens moved under the Special Olympics Play Unified umbrella.
The club hosts many events that bring the CHS and ECLC students together. Activity nights are hosted in the fall and spring. CHS students visit ECLC and get partnered up with a buddy. They play games, dance, do arts and crafts, and hang out with the new friends they make. Play Unified sports are also a big part of the club. Students can participate in soccer, bowling, and basketball. Learn Unified is another way to be engaged in the club. On the second Friday of every month, the students of ECLC come to CHS for a unified day of learning and socializing. They get to shadow Chatham High School students in the class before and after lunch. All club members hang out and eat together in the gym.
Play Unified is a great experience and an awesome way to be a part of a fun, inclusive, and loving community!
