Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: THE Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity has announced an $11 million grant to the Abu Dhabibased Special Olympics Global Centre for Inclusion in Education to significantly expand its Unified Champion Schools (UCS) initiative, a transformative programme that advances social inclusion for youth with and without intellectual disabilities. The grant will support the scaling of UCS through 10 new country programmes, delivered within the initiative’s 152-country network, underscoring the UAE’s commitment to advancing inclusion globally. The funding will also enable the launch of a professional development platform to train more than 6,000 educators worldwide – including teachers, coaches, and youth mentors – in effective inclusion practices.
In addition, the grant will help expand the Corps of Inclusive Educators, a global network of mentors who offer peer-to-peer learning and technical assistance to teachers and school leaders, helping to embed inclusive practices into school cultures for lasting impact.
The Special Olympics Global Centre for Inclusion in Education serves as a hub for global thought leadership for inclusive education through research, policy, and programming. The Centre, which is based in Abu Dhabi, was established in 2020 through a $25 million gift from President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as a legacy of the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.
The renewed commitment was announced at an event hosted by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Attendees included Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the US and member of the Special Olympics Board of Directors, H.E. Dr. Tareq Al Ameri, Chairman of the UAE AID Agency; Dr. Shamma Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Acting Director General of the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity; and Dr. Timothy Shriver, Chairman of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors. Opening remarks were delivered by H.E. Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of Family, UAE.
