Antrim Elementary School recently hosted a Similarity Awareness program to teach students about disabilities and help foster a culture of inclusivity.
On May 27, students in all grades participated in activities and discussions led by representatives from Northeast Passage, a nonprofit education and awareness group, that explored people’s differences while recognizing similarities that people share.
The event kicked off with a discussion about accepting, appreciating and understanding people’s differences, led by Northeast Passage representative Cam Forys. Forys focused on adaptive sports, how to overcome the challenges of playing sports with a disability and the similarities between the Olympics and the Paralympics.
Following the discussion, students took part in a series of games while in wheelchairs, including fist bump freeze tag and taco tag.
“Understanding each other’s differences is one of the first steps in fostering a culture of acceptance and inclusivity,” Principal Stephanie Syre-Hager stated. “While our students participated in familiar games, they experienced these activities from a unique perspective. This was a great lesson on empathy.”
The school expects to host Northeast Passage again in the future.
”The Similarity Awareness program was a blast for all participants. It was great to see the smile on students’ faces while they participated in these games and put themselves in someone else’s shoes,” stated wellness teacher Joe Benham. “The Northeast Passage team was warm and friendly and I thank them for making this experience not only fun, but educational, too.”