U.S. Paralympics, a division of the Olympic Committee, is partnering with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to implement a school-based Paralympic sports program. This program, made possible through a grant from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, will provide a pathway for students with disabilities to participate in extracurricular athletics, specifically track and field in the 2015 spring semester.
The team from U.S. Paralympics coming to Miami-Dade County Public Schools will include Chris Snyder, director of Coaching Education; Paul Ackerman, associate director, Paralympic National Partnerships and Programs; Dan Schweider, manager, Paralympic Community Partnership Programs; Teresa Skinner and Erica Wheeler, Paralympic national team coaches; and U.S. Paralympians John Register, April Holmes, and Carlos León.
This will be the first time this program is being implemented in Miami-Dade public schools and will serve as a model for other school districts across the state and the United States.
“Bringing an opportunity like this to Miami-Dade County Public Schools will provide a world of opportunity for students with disabilities. More importantly, it presents students with disabilities the opportunity to participate in school-wide athletic programs alongside their peers,” said Dr. Jayne Greenberg, District Director of Physical Education and Health Literacy.