Bullitt East Receives ESPN National Recognition

Kelsey Baker, Calendar Coordinator

Bullitt East charges their way to the top.

After qualifying as a Unified Champion School for three years, Project Unify leaders and the school decided to aim for honor roll.

To be nationally recognized, schools need to apply and show excellence in 10 standards. Alongside working on their inclusivity, Bullitt East has aimed to broaden the range of students involved in Project Unify. Being recognized showcases the main purpose of it all, to bring every school into the “Inclusion Revolution”.

“Within those 10 standards, you have to show that your whole school is unified, you have to have a unified leadership team, have to be recognized in the sports, and you’ve got to make sure you have an R-word campaign,” said Katie Hoben, instructional assistant. 

These past few years the school has really pushed to increase their Project Unify, a club aimed to help bring inclusion and showcase that not everyone is as different as they seem. Within the club, there is a leadership team, comprised of various students amongst all grade levels.

This team, alongside teachers, have helped create the atmosphere that school hones today. They put together the Project Unify prom, basketball games, club meetings, and all the other workings within what they do. 

Over the years, Project Unify and the school have strived to reach this achievement, constantly brainstorming ways to excel in inclusivity. Being recognized sets an example for others in the state, and even in our country. Out of 11,000 schools in the country, only about 300 are nationally ranked, making them among the elite.

“Being recognized helps show that we care about inclusion here, that we really care about all the students, and we want everybody that goes to Bullitt East to have a place to call home, or a club to be a part of,” said Tiffany Darnell, collaborative teacher, and leader of Project Unify.

Because of their inclusion in the honor roll, the school is now in the running to be one of the five schools that will have their banner presentation displayed by ESPN. Those schools will be released this Friday, Sept. 6, 2019.