Rockway Middle School: Building Inclusion Through Peer Leadership and Unified Partnerships

At Rockway Middle School in Miami, Florida, inclusion is more than a program—it’s a culture. Through the Falcons Inclusion Team (FIT Crew), students and staff have created a vibrant community where every learner is valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.

📄 Read the FIT Crew’s student-created newsletter highlighting their inclusive projects and activities: Rockway Middle School – Peers as Partners in Learning (Spring 2025)

Student-Led Inclusion: The FIT Crew and “Your Voice Matters”

The FIT Crew, now in its fourth year, leads Rockway’s “Peers as Partners” elective—bringing together students with and without disabilities to learn academic, communication, and social skills side by side. One of their most meaningful initiatives this year was “Your Voice Matters,” a schoolwide campaign designed to amplify student perspectives and celebrate diverse voices.

Working collaboratively with Best Buddies and students with intellectual disabilities, the FIT Crew designed and displayed posters featuring affirming quotes, artwork, and personal reflections. These creative displays have sparked ongoing conversations about empathy, respect, and belonging across classrooms and hallways—reminding everyone that every voice counts.

Partnerships That Strengthen Inclusion

Rockway Middle School is proud to be a Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion School, a distinction that recognizes its sustained commitment to unified sports and inclusive youth leadership. The school also partners with the Florida Inclusion Network and the Rising Stars program to expand opportunities for all students to connect, compete, and grow together.

In February 2025, Rockway hosted a Special Olympics Culminating Event that brought together neighboring middle schools—including Redland, Mandarin Lakes, South Dade, and Homestead Middle Schools—for a day of teamwork, friendship, and joy. Students from general and special education classrooms competed side by side, cheered one another on, and celebrated what it truly means to be unified.

▶️ Watch highlights from Rockway’s Unified Champion Schools event on YouTube: Special Olympics at Rockway Middle School

Embedding Inclusion Across School Life

Rockway’s inclusion efforts extend beyond single events. The school integrates inclusive practices into every facet of its operations—from instruction and extracurricular activities to professional development and community partnerships.

Key strategies include:

• Student Leadership: The FIT Crew and Best Buddies collaborate to plan inclusion awareness events and lead schoolwide initiatives.
  
• Inclusive Projects: Annual activities such as “Your Voice Matters,” Ability Awareness Week, and Unified Sports Days ensure inclusion stays visible year-round.
  
• Staff Development: Teachers receive training on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and inclusive instructional strategies.
  
• Curriculum Integration: Lessons emphasize cooperative learning, differentiated instruction, and diverse perspectives.

A Community That Lives Its Values

Through creativity, compassion, and collaboration, Rockway Middle School has built a model of inclusion that inspires both its students and the broader Miami-Dade community. From decorating rocks with positive messages to making friendship bracelets and engaging in unified PE activities, students demonstrate daily that inclusion is not just a value—it’s a lived experience.

As ESE Department Chairperson Madly Ambroise shares, “At Rockway, inclusion isn’t just encouraged—it’s celebrated. Every student has something important to contribute, and every student belongs.”