For the first time ever, the George Brown Huskies Extramural Unified Basketball team took part in Unified College Championship Week (April 13–19). George Brown Polytechnic is the first and only Canadian institution to participate in UCCW.
For those who may be unfamiliar, Unified College Championship Week is a week-long competition where colleges, universities, and other post-secondary institutions across North America complete inclusive activities as a team. Teams compete to be named the Unified College Champion. These activities are designed to promote inclusion, belonging, and lasting friendships. George Brown Polytechnic is the first and only Canadian college to participate in UCCW.
For context, here are the key components of a Unified Sport Program. A Unified athlete is an athlete with an intellectual disability who is typically interested in sport participation, enjoys competition, and values being part of a team. A Unified Sports partner is an athlete without an intellectual disability who shares similar interests in competition and teamwork. Meaningful competition is an essential component of Unified Sport, and coaches are responsible for placing players of comparable skill together on teams and on the court to ensure balanced play. This approach allows every team member the opportunity to contribute.
Back in 2023, in partnership with Special Olympics Ontario, we formed our first Unified Basketball team. Since then, George Brown has grown from participating in the program’s first Unified game in November 2023 to hosting the program’s first intersquad game in February 2025 and, most recently, the second annual OCR Unified Basketball Tournament in March 2026.
Right from the start, we have seen the positive impact of Unified Sport from both athletes and parents.
Unified athlete, Aoun Etoom, second-year student in the Food & Beverage Management program:
“Inclusion means always including others in the game. We play together, and we play with pride.”
Unified sports partner, Filipe Assis, third-year varsity soccer student-athlete in the Construction Engineering Technology program:
“To compete for the Huskies is a privilege. You always put on the badge and go out and play hard. Being a part of this team has been an amazing experience.”
Karyn McKnight, mother of Gabe (Special Olympics athlete), who has been a member of our Unified team for two years:
“I would like to once again thank you for making the Unified tournament possible. I am so impressed with the compassion your team exhibits and your sensitivity in relating to the athletes and us parents!”
Throughout the week, our team shared amazing content on the George Brown Recreation channel (@GB.Recreation). For each challenge completed, George Brown earned points in hopes of taking home the title and finished the week with a total of 195. Check them all out below!
Type Of Activities!
Spell Unified: Spell the word UNIFIED with the members of your team.
Call to Action: Post an introduction of your team on Instagram. Share your upcoming activities and let your followers know how they can join.
Unified Workout: Stay physically fit by hosting a Unified workout with your team.
Choose to Include: Record a video of 2 or more teammates sharing what inclusion means to them.
Unified Hangout: Create signs for the Huskies Annual Unified Basketball Tournament
Unified Pair Sport: Play a game or match of a small-team sport involving 2 people on each team.
Media Day Question: Introduce and interview a Unified team. SO athlete, Unified partner, coach
Trending: Create an Instagram reel with our team.
Trick Shot: Create an Instagram reel with our team.
Unified Team Sport: Play a game or match of a team sport involving 3 or more people on each team.
Campus VIP Inclusion Pledge: Post a video of your Campus VIP reciting the Inclusion Pledge.
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