District 54 students and staff will celebrate Respect Week February 23-27, 2026. Respect Week is a chance for schools and communities across Illinois to celebrate inclusion, acceptance and respect for all abilities.
What started years ago as a campaign to end the use of the R-word has grown into a vibrant movement that unites us all. Each day of the week has a color, which aligns to the awareness ribbon for the disability being acknowledged.
In our schools, students will be wearing that color, learning about the disability and participating in Unified activities meant to bring all students together.
Each year, the theme is chosen by students on the Special Olympics Illinois Unified Generation Committee. This is a group of about 40 students from across the state who apply and join in pairs – one student with a disability and one without. This year, we have four students on this committee – two from Addams and two from Mead. The theme this year is Wild Wild Respect.
- Monday, February 23 – Wear BLUE for hydrocephalus
- Tuesday, February 24 – Wear RAINBOW colors for Autism
- Wednesday, February 25 – Wear YELLOW for Microcephaly
- Thursday, February 26 – Wear ORANGE or RED for ADHD
- Friday, February 27 – Wear STRIPES for Rare Diseases Day
