Meet Jessie, Marissa, Jenny, and Leah!
Hi Playhouse families! My name is Jessie and I am a 3rd year student in the Occupational Therapy (OT) Program at Rush University! I will be spending the next 14-weeks at the Playhouse and cannot wait to meet you all. During my time at the Playhouse, I will be...
GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago Presents at University of Illinois Chicago AHS Celebrates
At the end of 2021, GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago had the awesome opportunity to share its mission and vision at AHS Celebrates event hosted by University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). In the session titled “Learning Together: An Innovative Community Partnership in Service of Individuals and Families with Down Syndrome” our very...
A Letter from our Leadership Team – Annual Appeal 2021
Dear Friends, Resilience has always been at the core of GiGi's Playhouse Chicago. We continued to demonstrate our capacity to grow and thrive amidst challenging times in 2021. Of course, everything that we accomplished could not have been possible without the creativity and drive of our staff, participants, families, friends,...
GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago Hosts 7th Annual Dance-A-Thon
On December 5, 2021, GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago had the pleasure of hosting one of our favorite annual events, our Dance-A-Thon with a virtual attendance option – all in effort to raise funds for an incredible cause! This was our 7th annual Dance-A-Thon and we are so grateful to our...
A Monstrous EPIC Halloween: Read On If You Dare!
By: Shannon Lyons, Child Development Intern at GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago This past Sunday, GiGi’s Playhouse hosted a Halloween party with our adult EPIC group. The group celebrated the spooky season by watching ‘Hotel Transylvania’, decorating the Playhouse, snacked on Halloween treats and popcorn, and created a Halloween pumpkin craft. Disney's...
GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago – Guests on the Moxie OT Podcast
This month we are celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Month! Tune in and learn more about the role of occupational therapy at GiGi's Playhouse Chicago on the Moxie OT podcast. In this podcast, Jenny Popova (Board President and volunteer at GiGi's Playhouse Chicago) and Hannah Hartz (volunteer at GiGi's...
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...
Welcome 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...
Congratulations 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...
Thank 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...
UIC OT Department Named GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago 2020 Partner of the Year
Pictured back row from left to right, GiGi's Playhouse President, Evguenia Popova, Site Coordinator, Grace Glenny, UIC Student, Julie Suh, UIC Student, Holly Woyome. Front row from left to right, Professor and Head of the Department of Occupational Therapy at UIC, Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, PhD, Playhouse Yoga Intern, Sam R.,...
Crawlers and Walkers is Back at the Playhouse!
Crawlers and Walkers is a great program for young children (ages 0-3) and their families! Come to enjoy an active hour of movement, singing and play. From ball and parachute games, tunnels, and bubbles there is something for everyone! The group is facilitated by physical and occupational therapists...