Formation and Growth of Unified @ Iona Prep

Sedona Paykin will be presenting on the formation and growth of Unified @ Iona Prep, an after-school and summer program in which special education and general education students unite through their common interests of sports, music, art, and service to others. The program’s mission is to contribute to a future in which individuals with disabilities are treated with dignity and respect in all avenues of life. Unified @ Iona Prep aims to accomplish this mission by fostering a culture of inclusion and empowerment. Committed to equity and accessibility, Unified @ Iona Prep is zero-cost for participants. Unified @ Iona Prep has been featured on PIX11, WNBC, and News12.

Sedona Paykin is a high school special education teacher at Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in History from Hunter College and a Masters of Teaching in Secondary Education from New York University.

Sedona’s extensive background working with the special needs community led her to form an inclusive program called Unified @ Iona Prep that serves both neurotypical and neurodivergent youth.