Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity pledges $11m to boost inclusivity in schools

UAE funding to support Special Olympics empowerment drive for pupils with intellectual disabilities

President Sheikh Mohamed at the opening ceremony of the 2019 World Games in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity

A leading UAE philanthropic organisation is to deliver a $11m funding boost to a Special Olympics initiative harnessing the power of sport to promote inclusivity in classrooms around the world.

The Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity will support the international mission of the Abu Dhabi-based Global Centre for Inclusion in Education, allowing it to expand its Unified Champion Schools programme to 10 countries.

The scheme – already in more than 150 countries – uses sport as the foundation for efforts to promote collaboration and friendship between young people with and without intellectual disabilities.

The key financial assistance will enable the launch of a new platform to train more than 6,000 people working in education – including teachers, coaches and youth mentors – in inclusivity practices.

It will also extend an existing Corps of Inclusive Educators project, a global network of mentors offering peer-to-peer learning and technical assistance to teachers and school leaders on how to bolster inclusivity.

The Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity has pledged $11m to widen its Unified Champion Schools programme to 10 countries. Photo: Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity

The 10 countries to benefit from the UCS scheme are still to be announced.

The renewed commitment was announced at an event hosted by the foundation on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

“This partnership reflects the UAE’s belief that inclusive education has the power to transform lives, communities, and societies,” said Dr Shamma Al Mazrouei, acting director general of the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity.

“We have seen firsthand how these learnings extend far beyond the classroom – shaping mindsets, harnessing potential, and inspiring positive change.

“With this commitment to the Global Centre for Inclusion in Education, we further a legacy that began with the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi, and is contributing to a future where every child can achieve and thrive.”

Special Olympics chairman Dr Timothy Shriver said it was important to promote inclusivity in education to help empower future generations.

“This landmark commitment from the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity is a bold affirmation of a simple but revolutionary idea: inclusion is not charity, it is transformation,” Dr Shriver said.

"With this grant, we are scaling a movement rooted in dignity, equality, and the power of young people to reshape education systems.”

Forging a lasting legacy

The Special Olympics Global Centre for Inclusion in Education was established in 2020 through a $25 million gift from President Sheikh Mohamed to build on the legacy of the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.

The UCS programme aims to leverage sports and youth leadership while engaging the wider school community to transform schools into places where every pupil is valued, respected, and included.

To date, the Global Centre for Inclusion in Education has supported 2,831 Unified Champion Schools globally, helped 1.1 million young people and trained 19,425 coaches and educators to deliver inclusive programming.

Evaluations of UCS programmes in China, Greece, Egypt, India, the US and Kenya have shown consistent benefits for pupils, including enhanced social and emotional skills, improved reading and maths scores, stronger feelings of belonging and significant reductions in bullying and teasing.

In Greece, pupils were between nine and 16 times more likely to report growth in competencies such as patience, empathy, and understanding the emotions of others.

Patience Irfasha, a Special Olympics athlete from Rwanda, hailed the UCS initiative for the impact that it has made on her life.

“Participating in Unified Sports has changed my life. I've made friends I never would have met and learnt that we all have something valuable to contribute, regardless of our abilities,” she said.

Foundation's global vision

President Sheikh Mohamed reviews plans for the recently established Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation For Humanity at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi. All photos: Abdulla Al Bedwawi / UAE Presidential Court

The foundation aims to advance human potential, support global health priorities, and expand opportunities for the most vulnerable communities around the world

The foundation will focus on advancing sustainable efforts in global health and inclusive development by investing in innovative solutions that empower individuals and communities, driving prosperity and progress

Sheikh Mohamed is briefed on the foundation’s mission

Sheikh Mohamed and Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed, Chairman of the Office of Development and Martyrs Families Affairs at the Presidential Court

Over the next five years, the Mohamed Bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity aims to reach more than 500 million people across more than 50 countries, spanning Asia, Africa, and the Middle East

The Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity was established in March to drive development, advance global health and support needy communities in underserved communities.

In April, the foundation co-launched its first major project, aimed at preventing 300,000 deaths in childbirth in sub-Saharan Africa over the next five years as part of a $600 million healthcare strategy.

The Beginnings' Fund will work in partnership with African governments, national organisations, experts and other philanthropic bodies such as the Gates Foundation to provide access to quality care for 34 million mothers and babies by 2030.

It will operate in 10 African countries – Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe – to help improve maternal and newborn survival rates.