Irving receives prestigious honor for sponsoring unified activities

March 13, 2026

Irving Middle School students and staff enjoyed a banner day this winter when they were honored for their life-changing unified programs.
 
Special Olympics Nebraska recognized Irving as a National Banner Unified Champion School during a celebration in the auditorium. The organization presented the banner because of Irving’s excellence in promoting social inclusion through unified activities. Irving became the first Lincoln Public Schools middle school to receive the award.
 
Eighth graders Aubrie and Lily said they were thrilled to be part of the ceremony. Aubrie helps her classmates in the Irving Circle of Friends club, and Lily reads to her fellow Aardvarks as part of the unified book club.
 
“To see this happen here is really amazing,” Aubrie said. “I’m really happy for this school, because everyone supports everybody.”
 
“Just knowing that all of these adults who have done so much for us, and all of these kids who have been a part of our lives for a long time, are getting recognized for all of their hard work, and all of my peers are getting known for their hard work, honestly, it really makes you feel empowered,” Lily said. “It makes you feel that anything good can happen if you put some strength and perseverance into it.”

 
Irving teacher Ashley Forbes said it has been inspiring to watch students like Aubrie and Lily rally around their classmates. When Forbes began teaching at Irving four years ago, approximately 20 students were helping with unified activities. Now, more than 100 Aardvarks and 15 staff members are participating in eight unified programs.
 
“It’s been amazing to see the evolution of unified programming at Irving and how it’s impacted our student body and staff over the last four years,” Forbes said. “We’re really thankful for such a close-knit community of staff who support this mission and really encompass our district motto of All Means All.”

 
Carolyn Chamberlin said she and other Special Olympics Nebraska representatives were awestruck with the amount of unified enthusiasm at the school. Chamberlin, who serves as the organization’s president and chief executive officer, told students and staff that their actions were creating ripples of hope throughout Lincoln.
 
“You are changing your school for the better,” Chamberlin said. “But you’re not just changing your school, because when we choose to include and have a mindset where everybody can belong, you actually are impacting more than your campus. You’re impacting your community, and one day in your life, you will impact your place of business, you will impact your neighborhood, and ultimately, you will be part of continuing to change the world where we are more accepting and more inclusive of everybody.”
 
Irving received the National Banner Unified Champion School designation because it met ten Special Olympics standards. Among these were inclusive youth leadership, whole-school engagement and the implementation of unified sports and activities. The school currently sponsors Circle of Friends and unified art, music, track and field, computer science, physical education, Student Council and book clubs.

 
The ceremony included a 13-minute video that highlighted each of those activities. It showed Irving students playing orchestra and percussion instruments together, taking part in games in the school gym and sharing many hugs and smiles.
 
Lily appeared in a photo that captured her reading to a classmate in the unified book club. She said those moments were special for her because of the friendships she has formed.
 
“Knowing that they’re in a safe space and that we’re able to help them out is really fulfilling,” Lily said.
 
The ceremony also featured dance and music performances from the Aardvarks. The audience cheered as students moved to music and played bongo drums on stage. Both groups received loud rounds of applause as they returned to their seats.
 
Forbes felt unified activities had created a welcoming environment for everyone in the building. She said it was encouraging to see Irving’s name appear on a Special Olympics Nebraska map of unified banner schools. North Star, Southeast and Southwest are the three LPS high schools on the list.
 
“When I looked that up for the first time, that was just super awesome to see,” Forbes said. “We’re just one middle school in Lincoln, but knowing that we’re making an impact on our student body in some really amazing ways by being so inclusive, that’s what I feel matters the most.”

 
Aubrie and Lily both said they would like to continue helping with unified activities for the rest of their LPS careers. They said the banner moments they have enjoyed at Irving have shaped who they are and how they treat everyone they meet.
 
“If I can have some sort of role with unified in high school, I would gladly do it in a heartbeat,” Lily said.
 
“It’s been so much fun,” Aubrie said. “I’ve loved being a part of it. It’s something that’s been a big part of my life here at Irving.”
 
Learn more about the positive impact of student activities at the LPS Get Involved webpage.
 
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