OLATHE, Kan — During National Spread the Word Campaign Week, students at Olathe East High School are leading the charge to make their school more inclusive.
Morgan Forshe is a senior at East and a peer mentor for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
She has seen the power the word inclusion means inside classrooms like IPS, a class that combines general education with special education students.
“I like the inclusive nature of the class and just everything we get to do, like just being able to experience the growth in people and see the impact that you can make on kids," said Forshe.
Forshe said taking the class has been an eye-opening experience.
“I don't think I pictured something like this," said Forshe. "I've always wanted to work with special education students, so that was my interest."
The Spread the Word initiative helps remind students the importance of being inclusive inside and outside of the classroom.
Amy Hill one of the center based resource teachers has lead the charge in spreading awareness throughout the whole school.
“We really feel like inclusion is the way that our students are going to get the best experience in life, the world is full of people that are all different, and so opportunities to work with people that maybe think or learn a little bit differently than you is valuable on both sides," said Hill.
She has also seen how offering these classes transform many students.
“I would say probably my biggest goal is that they see the world a little bit differently after they leave this class. I hope that I open their mind to maybe thinking about the unique abilities of people," said Hill.
It's a change teachers like Aubrey Gilhause wanted to be a part of.
“I left a really great program in another school district because I believed so much in what was happening here. I saw it as a mom So not only, you know was buying the product for my son, but believed in it so much that I wanted to be here and work just as hard for other students as people were doing here for mine," said Gilhaus.
This awareness week is also a reminder for many students like Morgan who have pledged to be part of that change.
“I feel like a lot of people think disability and associate it with not able to do things, and so spread the word week helps shift the mindset of you still are able to do things, and that it's just an extra challenge that you have to push through, but they're still capable of doing everything," said Forshe.
Olathe East students will culminate the week with their annual Polar Plunge in partnership with Special Olympics Kansas.
It will be held this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. outside of the school.
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KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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