The Drakes Unified Bocce team will take on Cheltenham High School on Wednesday, January 31 at 3:30pm in Jenkintown’s high school gymnasium.

The match is part of the Special Olympics PA Interscholastic Unified Sports (IUS) and the districts’ unified physical education classes, through which high school students with and without disabilities come together through educational and physical activities.

The co-ed after school program allows students “to train and compete as equal teammates and through this experience, become friends,” IUS said in a statement. “IUS teams are regarded like every other interscholastic sports team at the high school.”

Unified Indoor Bocce is offered by high schools in the winter and Unified Track and Field in the spring. Teams have the chance to compete at the State Championships at the end of the season.

Schools like Jenkintown and Cheltenham which have implemented unified physical education concepts have indicated their student bodies have become more accepting of all students, and more apt to celebrate individual differences, officials said.

“Our players and coaches have been working hard (and having fun) learning and mastering the game – they want your support!” Jenkintown officials said in a post. “Please come out and support the Drakes Unified Bocce Team!”

To livestream the match, you can click here. The Drakes’ final home match is scheduled for February 13 at 3:30pm against Harriton High School.

More information about the IUS program can be found here.

To hear what the opportunity has meant to Cheltenham students, you can watch the video below:

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Photos: Jenkintown SD, Cheltenham SD