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LNMOP At HelloBaby
GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago has formed a community partnership with HelloBaby to expand access to therapeutic services for infants, toddlers and their families that are residents of the South and Westside of Chicago. HelloBaby is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “support, empower and inspire families raising young children in underserved neighborhoods in Chicago.”…
Read MoreWelcome to the Playhouse, Shannon!
Shannon Lyons is a third-final year Child Life Graduate Student at Erikson Institute. She will be interning with GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago for the Fall 2021 semester. Shannon grew up in a small town 4 hours south of Chicago. Her master’s degree major is a Master’s in Science: Child Development with a concentration in Child Life.…
Read MoreCongratulations to our Rush OTD Students!
As summer comes to a wrap, we are excited to congratulate Kate, Megan, and Hannah on their graduation from the Occupational Therapy Doctoral program at Rush University. Since their first week at the Playhouse, Kate, Megan, and Hannah have become indispensable members of the Chicago Playhouse team. From developing one-on-one and group lesson plans to…
Read MoreThank you Megan, Kate and Hannah!
If you have been to the Playhouse this summer, you have most certainty seen our incredible Rush University occupational therapy student interns, Megan, Kate, and Hannah working hard with our Playhouse participants! For the last 14 weeks, they have been busy completing their doctoral capstone projects for graduation. Megan has been working with 7 incredible…
Read MoreMeet Our EPIC Superheroes!
This past month in our EPIC: Journaling Club, we discussed positive affirmations, what it means to be a superhero and our inner superheroes powers. Everyone in the group shared what makes them strong, brave, happy and more importantly who their sidekicks are. Meet our amazing superheroes below! Meet Kate! Superhero name: KateKat Superpower:…
Read More“Raise the Barr” Service Award Recipients 2020 & 2019
Happy Volunteer Awareness Month! Every year, our Playhouse Board of Managers selects a volunteer who goes above and beyond to support our participants and Playhouse families. This year, we are excited to announce our 2020 “Raise the Barr” Service Award recipient is Susannah Kavanaugh! Thank you Susannah for all you do to make our Dance…
Read MoreQuincy Guest Lectures at Rush University
Written by Kate Williams GiGi’s Playhouse and it’s many participants have adapted to unprecedented challenges over the past year. We have found ways to stay connected and continue growing despite our physical locations’ closure. An example of the way our community has been resilient (and even thriving) in the face of challenge is the development…
Read MoreWays to Celebrate on World Down Syndrome Day
11:30am – 12:30pm – Yoga with Patti and GiGi’s Young Adults Join us for a special yoga flow on World Down Syndrome Day, Sunday, March 21st from 11:30am-12:30pm! The yoga session will be led by our Playhouse young adults and yoga program leader Patti. Please consider a suggested donation of $35 to attend. With this…
Read MoreWhat Has Teen Tastic Been Up to This Year?
Written by Alexis Downes, Alexis Nacht, and Giovanna Savastano – Teen Tastic Group Leaders & Master’s Students in Occupational Therapy at University of Illinois at Chicago As we all know, this year has looked quite different than years in the past. However, Teen Tastic has resumed online and GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago teens have been…
Read MoreStaying Connected with Friends and Family: Fun Virtual Activities to Try at Home This Holiday Season
By Megan Beiler, OTS, Grace Hoak, OTS, Abigail Peters, OTS, & Kellie Reynolds, OTS Rush University Occupational Therapy Department This fall, we had the opportunity to run a six-week virtual EPIC social skills group for young adults at GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago. As 2nd year occupational therapy students at Rush University, we were looking forward…
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