Between August 18th and 22nd, Pao Middle School hosted the 2025 Special Olympics Unified Camp. This event, a collaboration between Special Olympics East Asia and the Shanghai Special-Care Foundation, is organised by the Shanghai Future Youth Development Centre.
The camp spanned five days, welcoming 50 Special Olympics athletes from nearby SPED schools and an equal number of ‘unified partners’ from local schools and supportive companies. Notably, 30 students from Pao School volunteered as 'unified partners' in the event. Taking full advantage of the Pao Middle School facilities at the Anna Pao Sohmen Centre, the camp featured four specially designed inclusive sports activities: swimming, basketball, badminton, and table tennis. Using a ‘one-on-one’ pairing model, each Special Olympics athlete was matched with a unified partner to form a team.
As an important experience in the Middle School Service Learning Programme, joint training and friendly competitions improved sports skills while cultivating understanding and friendships. The participating students from Pao School reflected on their experience, noting how it deepened their understanding of students with disabilities and inspired them to offer care and support.
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Since its inception, Pao School has placed a strong emphasis on nurturing a sense of social responsibility among its students. Through a range of volunteer services and community welfare activities, it encourages students to give back to society and embody the core value of compassion. In December 2015, Pao School partnered with Special Olympics East Asia to host the inaugural Special Olympics Unified Camp Shanghai event. (YK Pao School hosts first event with Special Olympics) Since then, Primary School and Middle School has engaged in regular inclusive activities with Changning SPED School. Pao Middle School students, through Service Learning Programme, also collaborated with Luwan Special Education Experimental School on several occasions. Pao High School also hosts the ‘Swim for Love’ charity project each summer, providing support to children with autism and raising awareness about special education within the community. Pao School further participates in numerous public welfare activities that involve both teachers and students, alongside student-led charity clubs.
The Special Olympics is a global non-profit organisation committed to eliminating discrimination against individuals with intellectual disabilities while creating inclusive communities through a variety of sports events, health screenings for athletes, and inclusive school activities. The Special Olympics Unified Camp, established by Mrs. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the visionary founder of the Special Olympics movement, serves as an international training camp designed to create a high-quality, socially inclusive environment for individuals both with and without intellectual disabilities. This initiative aims to nurture the development of sports skills while promoting understanding and camaraderie among all participants.
