In early November kids from Powell’s elementary, middle and high school gathered to participate in Project Unity’s bocce ball tournament for the second year in a row. It was a chance for a variety of students, some with special needs and some without, to play together.

The organization Unified Sports is popular throughout the country and specializes in athletic opportunities for kids with special needs. Within Park County School District 1, the group goes by the name, “Project Unity.” Adaptive PE teacher Christa Munari, PHS physical education teacher Charli Fluty, composition and literature teacher Jessia Purdum, life skill teachers, and special education teachers combine forces to put the project together. 

Fluty was introduced to the program in the fall. With her connection to high school kids, she was able to steer them towards interest in the organization. Munari, the Unified coordinator for the district, works primarily with special needs students. 

The Project Unity team envisions many improvements for the future. Munari is planning various field trips and monthly outings for the kids. Previous coordinator Matt Koritnik, who is passionate about this particular project, hopes to see the type of progress within the district that occurs in other states. For example, Project Unity could host an activity during halftime at basketball, volleyball, etc. games. 

“This year we have some outdoor events planned such as hiking and snowshoeing in addition to more traditional sports like bowling,” Munari said. “The ultimate goal is to build friendships and a school culture at each school that is inclusive, caring and empathetic. Our shared experiences help us bond together and build trust together.” 

In addition to ideological goals, the organization has already prepared numerous activities for the kids to engage in, adding on to the activities they’ve already done.

“I think when we went bowling that was probably my favorite,” Fluty said. “Yeah, the kids were just so excited to get out of the building and off campus … I just loved that bowling was an activity that kind of leveled the playing field. Like no one’s an outstanding bowler … So it’s not like the high school kids were just like demolishing the elementary kids … I thought that was a really, really fun experience.”

The social opportunities at Project Unity’s activities give the kids a chance to connect, and potentially form friendships they haven’t experienced before. 

“My favorite parts so far are seeing the high school leadership team step up and lead our bocce ball event,” Munari said.  “It was really heartwarming to know that I could count on them to show up and lead because the whole event couldn’t happen without them … I love seeing some of our high schoolers light up with our younger students. It made me so happy to see them celebrated and championed.” 

The selection process for Project Unity’s student volunteers includes grades, behavior, attendance, etc. However, the project also looks for other aspects in a volunteer. Students who are approachable and inclusive to those around them are sought out and approached with this opportunity.

“I just think it really fosters that empathy and just inclusion of all students,” Fluty said, adding “Because you want your younger kids to look up to your high school kids, right? And you want that kind of like, that tradition to continue … like this is what it means to be a real Panther. This is what it means to be a PHS student. And we want … as mentors to really illustrate those characteristics …  to work directly with those kids and show them, hey, this is what it means to be at Powell High School.”

The leaders of Project Unity hope the student volunteers not only use this as a spot for their resume but also an experience that will last a lifetime. 

“People come from a lot of different places, like a lot of different starting points, but everyone has value and has something to bring to the table,” Fluty said. “And I think that that helps both sides. I think that helps our high school mentors. I think it helps our peers and our students who are in our life skills programs, who are … benefiting by being able to be involved in a lot of things. In a lot of districts, students are pulled out and not able to even be participants in a lot of activities like this. Our district’s really lucky. We have a really inclusive district … this is just a bonus way for students to be involved and interact in almost like an extracurricular that they wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity to do outside of school.”