Foundation vows $11m to expand inclusive education

The Mohamed Bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity has announced an $Il million (Dhs40.37 million) grant to the Abu Dhabi-based 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.

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The grant will support the scaling of UCS through IO 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 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.