Special Education Majors Teach PE Class and Mentor High School "Emerging Educators" in Partnership with Special Olympics Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Point Park University students spend two mornings a week at Brashear High School, implementing the Unified Fitness Program. Photos by Jacob White '29.
"Participating in this program has not only strengthened my commitment to inclusive education but has also given me firsthand insight into the importance of creating engaging, supportive environments for students with disabilities."
In a unique partnership among Point Park University's School of Education, Pittsburgh Brashear High School and Special Olympics Pennsylvania, college and high school students meet two days a week to pursue physical fitness together, in a class led by the university students.
The Unified Fitness program is a 12-week partner workout program designed to promote healthy living for individuals of the same age, both with and without disabilities. For the first time in its history, it's being implemented in an educational environment, giving education majors valuable field experience and Special Olympics valuable data.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday morning, Point Park students are shuttled to Brashear, where they meet with high school students in Emerging Educators, a Career and Technology Education program for those considering a career in education. Together, the college and high school students plan a 40-minute physical education lesson from the Unified Fitness guidebook and then implement it with a group of students with intellectual disabilities.
The inter-school program was developed with the support of the Developing Future Special Educators grant from the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network.
For Amber Smith, a sophomore special education major, the experience is a delight. "I love that I can help students work on their overall health and mine, as well as help emerging educators find their strengths in the educational field," she said.
"I’ve learned that I love not only teaching but also including movement, health and life skills throughout lessons," she continued. "In the future, I hope to do this by creating arts courses designed for students with special needs that will help them grow overall in life."
Olivia Keibler, a junior special education major with a minor in chemistry, said, "Participating in this program has not only strengthened my commitment to inclusive education but has also given me firsthand insight into the importance of creating engaging, supportive environments for students with disabilities."
Christine Wolski, teacher of Emerging Educators and physical education, said the students in the autism and life skills programs are thrilled to be in the class with their peers. Typically, these students spend 80% of their day separated from their peers. But the Unified Fitness program is breaking down barriers.
"Students who are normally quiet are starting to have a voice in class," she said. "They're connecting with other students in the hallway."
Maria Fabyonic, who teaches in the Emerging Educators program at Brashear, said her students were initially skeptical about helping to teach the PE class. "They were hesitant because it was unknown," Fabyonic said. "But once they got in there — only one time — they were hooked."
Since the Unified Fitness program is designed for peers to exercise together, all the students participated in the activities. For David Chapman, a sophomore special education major, this gave him a connection with the students with disabilities. "I felt more like a friend to them, because a lot of the time I didn't do the instructing, I pretty much did all of the activities with them."
This one-of-a-kind partnership with Special Olympics is just one example of the innovative programs within the School of Education that give Point Park students unique field experiences beginning in their first semester.
"Point Park was at the helm of this partnership," said Andrea Patton, regional executive director for the Three Rivers Region of Special Olympics Pennsylvania. "They are the Pioneers, which I love. They knew they had a group of students who wanted real-world experience, so they reached out. This provides hands-on classroom experience working with students and curriculum."
"We are thrilled to partner with the Special Olympics Unified Fitness program," said Virginia Chambers, Ed.D., dean. "This experience promotes inclusion, community, and healthy living while providing our future educators with meaningful, hands-on field experience.”
The partnership is also providing Special Olympics Pennsylvania with valuable information. The Unified Fitness program is designed to be self-implemented by community members, so there's little data on its effectiveness. This class will serve as a process evaluation, as it records participants' progress.
In the future, Patton envisions partnering with other higher education institutions to allow college students in programs such as education, public health and social work to replicate the program.
But Point Park did it first. After all, they are the Pioneers.
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