Education experts and political leaders frequently agree that in spite of many changes, American schools continue to remain in need of reforms that will expand the circle of opportunity for all children. Few such leaders, however, recognize young people themselves as a critical leadership constituency in effecting the needed reforms. Special Olympics Project UNIFY is attempting to reverse this long history of oversight with a first: not only is the goal to empower young people to lead reform efforts, but even more to empower those who are often wrongly seen as a burden and to unleash them to be leaders, too. Creating positive, nurturing school communities begins with creating positive relationships among students and this is especially critical for students who are traditionally marginalized, at-risk, or alone. Special Olympics Project UNIFY shows promise of becoming a powerful lever for empowering students to build friendships, foster welcoming communities, and create healthy learning environments for all students. The challenge for the inclusion movement in the coming years is to shift from a movement largely focused on support for children with disabilities to a movement focused on engaging all young people in promoting a unified culture and climate.