Three high schools in Northeast Ohio have a lot to cheer about this season. Lakewood High School, North Ridgeville High School, and Dover High School have all received full sponsorship from The Cleveland Browns Foundation to create a Sparkle Effect inclusive cheer team! On Sparkle Effect teams, students with and without disabilities perform as one team throughout football and basketball season.
Sparkle Effect teams address an important challenge facing America’s schools: over five million students with disabilities attend public schools in the United States; yet, most school sports and activities are not designed to accommodate these students. Not surprisingly then, students with disabilities are often sidelined -- excluded from school sports and the critical social opportunities they offer.