Thursday, January 15, 2026 was a day to celebrate inclusion, connection and school pride at Manheim Township. With a mini grant from MTEF, Manheim Township School District brought autism speaker and advocate Ben Hartranft to help lead a Day of Inclusion with MTHS students, helping to build empathy, understanding, and a stronger sense of community.
At the heart of Ben’s story are experiences of his childhood and young adulthood—from getting a drivers’ license and getting a job, to winning Homecoming King at North Penn High School and working as Game Day Ambassador with the Philadelphia Eagles— and how the inclusion demonstrated by educators, friends and community members have shaped his life with autism. Ben’s enthusiasm (“Benergy”) helps him connect with audiences and shed light on autism and neurodiversity in powerful and positive way. His presentation includes actionable strategies for students demonstrating kindness within the school environment.
The Day of Inclusion was comprised of an assembly for nearly 2000 high school students, a unified bocce match and a basketball game, where Ben sang the national anthem and helped fire up the crowd. We asked MTHS students who participated in these events for their perspectives. Here’s what they shared.
“It takes tremendous courage to stand in front of others and advocate for what matters most to you, and Ben did exactly that. During his presentation, Ben shared his personal experiences and helped spread awareness about autism. He spoke with confidence and purpose but most importantly with passion. The way he carried himself in front of the students and delivered such a powerful message made a lasting impression on everyone in attendance.” – Ece Ak, Buddies Unified Club
“My favorite part of the assembly was when Ben shared his story. I really enjoyed having Ben at my unified bocce game and singing the national anthem. It was really cool when most of the people wore the white shirts that said inclusion that we had for the assembly. It made everyone feel included with the different sports and different events.” – Abigail Dehart, unified bocce team
“[Ben’s] message had a clear impact on many, especially within the Unified Bocce team, where Ben visited and encouraged us at our match against Ephrata. Many of my teammates still ask about Ben and when he is coming back, which pretty clearly shows how much he was appreciated.” – Kate Palumbo, unified bocce team
“His energy and message got people excited and created a strong sense of school spirit. Basketball ended up being packed, with so many people showing up to support the team. The gym was loud, full of cheering, and felt electric, which made the game even more fun to play in. Ben and the assembly helped bring everyone together and turn the basketball game into something special.” – Manoli Papadimitriou, boys basketball team