Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and Westlake High Schools are National Banner Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools!

The Conejo Valley Unified School District is proud to celebrate its three comprehensive high schools: Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and Westlake High Schools for being recognized as 2025 National Banner Unified Champion Schools! This prestigious honor, awarded by Special Olympics North America, recognizes schools that go above and beyond in creating inclusive environments where students learn, play, and lead together.

To earn this national banner recognition, schools must demonstrate their commitment to inclusion by meeting ten standards of excellence set by Special Olympics North America. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from the Special Olympics and the education community.

The primary activities within these standards include: Special Olympics Unified Sports® (where students with and without disabilities train and compete as teammates), Inclusive Youth Leadership and Whole-School Engagement. Banner Unified Champion Schools are also able to demonstrate they are self-sustainable and have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future.

Congratulations to our Thousand Oaks High School, Newbury Park High School and Westlake High School on this important accomplishment: cultivating inclusive school climates that exhibit a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all. They are three of thirteen schools from across Southern California to earn the 2025 national banner status.

Way to go Lancers, Panthers, and Warriors!