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A Word from the Chief Belief Officer - Nancy Gianni
Hello GiGi’s Change Makers!
Seven years ago, I visited our El Paso Playhouse for an important trip. But unlike most of my trips, GiGi wasn’t with me this time; she couldn’t be there because she was attending her high school’s Homecoming... just like any other teenager!
I was reminded of this story when I recently ran into an old friend, Lisa, a physician and a mother to a beautiful 7-year-old boy with Down syndrome, Joey! Lisa and I first met when I visited the El Paso Playhouse. Joey was two weeks old, and Lisa was still wrapping her around what it meant to have a child with Down syndrome. When I told Lisa GiGi was at her high school’s Homecoming, it helped Lisa realize how ‘typical’ Joey’s future would look.
The truth is that GiGi, Joey, and all individuals with Down syndrome are regular people. Like all of us, they have some differences we must keep in mind, but they are capable of incredible things and can live fulfilling lives! I’m so grateful for all of you who have come alongside us on this mission to show the world just how amazing individuals with Down syndrome are!
Please take a minute to read about all the amazing things happening across our Playhouses. Learn how Microsoft “hackers” are partnering with GiGi’s, how an amazing volunteer at GiGi’s Playhouse in Canton, Ohio has helped a participant fall in love with reading, how our Educator Symposium is helping teachers AND parents, how we’re using Down Syndrome Awareness Month to spread acceptance, how a team of world-changers is on the precipice of opening our 61st Playhouse in Portland, Oregon, and how GiGi’s Playhouse Mexico helped a participant walk!
All of you are truly helping us change the world! We couldn’t do this without you!
XOXO
Nancy and GiGi
Read more about Nancy’s visit with Lisa here!
Hacking with a Heart: Microsoft comes to GiGi’s!
Hackers. For many, this word strikes fear, but at GiGi’s Playhouse, we love hackers!
As part of Microsoft’s Global Hackathon 2024, the largest private hackathon on the planet, Microsoft employees are volunteering their time, skills, and expertise to support GiGi’s Playhouse! Throughout the week, Microsoft “hackers” have worked alongside our National Office staff, gaining insights about GiGi’s, and innovating ways to help us leverage technology.
At GiGi’s Playhouse, we believe technology is central to our mission. Utilizing cutting-edge advancements helps us better serve our families, participants, and volunteers! Thank you to these hackers who are helping us change the world!
We need YOUR HELP!
The demand for GiGi’s FREE Programming has never been HIGHER...which means our need for volunteers is greater than ever! This Fall, we have 1,746 participants enrolled in our literacy, math, and speech tutoring programs! As great as this is, we need your help! While 890 learners have been matched, 856 learners still need a tutor! To match all these participants, we need more – more volunteers, more tutors, more people ready to help us change the world!
When you volunteer as a tutor, you’re truly partnering with a learner. One of our Playhouses in Ohio perfectly illustrates this idea. Joe, a volunteer at GiGi’s Playhouse Canton, and Mhani, a participant at that same Playhouse, have been paired for in our Literacy One-on-One Tutoring Program for two years.
According to Mhani’s mom, the progress Mhani has made since attending our tutoring program is remarkable. She’s gained confidence, can sound out words, and better understands the material she reads. And she’s done it all with the help of Joe!
Be like Joe. Partner with a young learner, help them accomplish their dreams, and help us change the world! And with our Virtual Playhouse, you can tutor (and learn) from home!
The School Year is Underway – GiGi’s Educator Symposium is here to help!
The beginning of every new school year is full of promise and possibilities, but for parents, it’s often anxiety-ridden. Are the teachers ready for the new year? Is my child ready? Will it be a good year?
These worries are natural, but for parents of children with Down syndrome, these concerns are amplified. Will the new teachers accommodate my child? Will I have to battle with the administration? Will this year be more stressful than the last? Thankfully, GiGi’s Playhouse is here to help! Our literacy and math tutoring programs work alongside your child’s school curriculum to ensure that your child better comprehends their schoolwork and has a successful year!
Beyond this, GiGi’s also provides teachers with the support they need to have a successful year! Individuals with Down syndrome have unique needs, and teachers often need training on how to support those needs. That’s where our Educator Symposium steps in!
Occurring twice a year, GiGi’s Playhouse Educator Symposium is a FREE online workshop that provides teachers, aides, and therapists with proven strategies to effectively support individuals with Down syndrome, and it even provides continuing education credits! Plus, many of our Playhouses offer watch parties so you can learn with a group! Our symposium provides everyone — parents, teachers, babysitters, and more — with tools they can use immediately!
Our next Educator Symposium is on September 21 and there’s still time to register! Learn more here!
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month: Help us spread ACCEPTANCE!
The world can be a cruel place. We all know that, and we all want to help one another, but good intentions do not always equate to action. Before you can truly help someone, you must fully understand the obstacles they face. This rationale holds true for marginalized groups, especially individuals with Down syndrome.
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month! At GiGi’s Playhouse, we’re on a mission to create a more accepting world, but we believe awareness is the first building block in creating true acceptance. That’s why Down Syndrome Awareness Month is so vital! Before acceptance can be achieved, society needs a baseline awareness of Down syndrome, an understanding of the collective strength of the individuals who have it, and a recognition of the challenges the community faces.
This October, GiGi’s Playhouse is digging deeper than just giving the world cursory knowledge. We’re giving people a genuine understanding of all things Down syndrome: the challenges, the obstacles, and the beauty. It’s only through genuine understanding that we can create a more inclusive and accepting world!
But we need your help! We’re asking our families, supporters, and volunteers to come alongside us this October and create a tidal wave of awareness, understanding, and ACCEPTANCE. Share our posts, participate in our 31 Ways in 31 Days challenge, and educate your friends, neighbors, and coworkers about Down syndrome!
Learn more about Down Syndrome Awareness Month here!
Look the part this October! Pick up some inclusive GiGi’s and #GenerationG merch, so you’re ready for Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
GiGi's Playhouse Inc now has an Instagram account in Spanish! Click here to follow us on Instagram!
¡GiGi's Playhouse Inc ya tiene una cuenta de Instagram en español! ¡Haz clic aquí para seguirnos!
Busy with the School Year? Our Virtual Playhouse is Here!
No matter how busy you get, you can still access GiGi’s FREE programming through our new Virtual Playhouse platform! Access resources, Live and On-Demand programs or apply for 1:1 virtual tutoring from the comfort of your own home! And with our online communities, you’ll have love and support at your fingertips!
A LABOR OF LOVE: GiGi's Playhouse Portland Ready to Open its Doors!
All it takes is one. At GiGi’s, we truly believe that any one person has the power to change the world. That principle guides us every day, but as powerful as individuals are, we recognize there’s strength in numbers. Nothing is more powerful than a group of people coming together under a shared goal.
GiGi’s Playhouse Portland is proof of this. With their Grand Opening happening on September 28, our Portland Playhouse will open its doors and become our 61st Playhouse!
GiGi’s Playhouse Portland is a true labor of love and the culmination of years and years of work. So many people in Portland came together to make our 61st Playhouse a reality – grandparents, parents, and more! Because of their hard work, countless lives will be changed as so many get to experience our FREE programming!
Read the inspiring story about how our Portland Playhouse came to fruition here!
Stride by Stride – GiGi’s Playhouse Mexico is Changing Lives!
Stringing words together. Learning to walk. Reading a book. These are a few of life’s important milestones, but for individuals with Down syndrome, hitting purposeful progressions like these takes a little more work. At GiGi’s, our FREE educational, therapeutic, and research-driven programs help our participants reach those milestones.
Our Playhouse in Queretaro, Mexico perfectly exemplifies this. This past May, 4-year-old Matias joined our GiGiFIT program because he had difficulties with his gait and walking. With the Mexico Playhouse team at his side, Matias put in the work!
Over four months of hard work, attending the Mexico Playhouse twice a week, and following the daily plan designed by his therapist, Mattias has achieved the ability to WALK!!! We’re beyond proud of Matias, and we cannot wait to see all that he accomplishes with the support of our Mexico Playhouse!
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