The Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity has pledged $11 million to strengthen inclusivity in schools around the world, marking a major step forward in the UAE’s global education and social impact agenda.
The funding will support the Special Olympics Global Centre for Inclusion in Education, based in Abu Dhabi, enabling the expansion of its Unified Champion Schools (UCS) programme into 10 new countries. The initiative, already active across 152 nations, uses sports, youth leadership, and community engagement to create school environments where every student is valued and included.
Training Educators and Scaling Best Practices
Part of the grant will be directed toward the launch of a professional development platform designed to train over 6,000 educators — including teachers, coaches, and youth mentors — in advanced inclusion practices. It will also strengthen the Corps of Inclusive Educators, a peer-to-peer global mentorship network that provides technical guidance to teachers and school leaders, ensuring inclusive practices are deeply embedded into school culture.
Building on a Legacy of Inclusion
The Global Centre for Inclusion in Education was established in 2020 through a $25 million gift by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as a legacy of the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019. It has since become a hub for international thought leadership, shaping policies, research, and programming around inclusive education.
To date, the Centre has helped establish 2,831 Unified Champion Schools across the globe, engaging more than 1.1 million young people and training 19,425 educators and coaches to deliver inclusive education programs.
Global Leaders Speak
The announcement was made during an event hosted by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
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Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the US and member of the Special Olympics Board of Directors, emphasized the UAE’s role as a catalyst for social progress:
“The UAE is proud to work alongside Special Olympics to expand opportunity, advance equality, and demonstrate the power of global collaboration to create lasting change.”
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Dr. Shamma Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Acting Director-General of the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, underlined the broader vision:
“This partnership reflects the UAE’s belief that inclusive education has the power to transform lives, communities, and societies.”
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Dr. Timothy Shriver, Chairman of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors, highlighted the global movement:
“With this grant, we are scaling a movement rooted in dignity, equality, and the power of young people to reshape education systems.”
Impact on Students and Communities
The Unified Champion Schools programme has demonstrated measurable benefits worldwide. Evaluations from China, Greece, Egypt, India, Kenya, and the United States reveal:
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Enhanced social-emotional skills among students.
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Improved reading and math scores.
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Stronger sense of belonging (86% of students in India and nearly all in Kenya reported feeling more included).
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Notable reductions in bullying and teasing.
In Greece, students participating in UCS were 9 to 16 times more likely to report growth in patience, empathy, and emotional understanding.
For many participants, the impact is deeply personal. Patience Irfasha, a Special Olympics athlete from Rwanda, shared her experience:
“Participating in Unified Sports has changed my life. I’ve made friends I never would have met and learned that we all have something valuable to contribute, regardless of our abilities.”
UAE’s Global Commitment
The UAE’s renewed commitment underscores its dedication to inclusive education as a cornerstone of human development. By scaling innovative models of teaching and learning, the country continues to position itself as a global leader in education reform, inclusivity, and humanitarian collaboration.
This new pledge ensures that the legacy of Abu Dhabi 2019 and the vision of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed will continue to inspire future generations — building schools where diversity is celebrated and every child has the chance to thrive.
