Volunteer Spotlight: Jenny Popova

Purposeful Programming:  How do we do it?

GiGi’s provides purposeful programming for all ages.   We have an amazing team of highly qualified and passionate volunteers who lead our programs.  Our spotlight this month is on Jenny Popova, an occupational therapist (OT) who runs several programs for GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago. Jessica, our playhouse intern, recently sat down with Jenny to ask her about the programs, her background, and her plans for the future.

Jessica:  Hello, Jenny! Thank you for taking a moment to speak with me. Can you start by telling me a bit about your background?

Jenny:  Sure! I grew up in Russia, and moved to San Jose, California, when I was 13. I went to UC Berkeley for college. There I got a degree in psychology with a minor in education.

Jessica: That’s a great school! And how did you end up in Chicago?

Jenny: I came to Chicago for occupational therapy school. I fell in love with UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago) when I learned about their community-based efforts and advocacy work for people with disabilities. The program seemed like a perfect fit for me, and I decided to relocate here for a Masters. Over the past couple of years I pretty much fell in love with Chicago and community organizations like GiGi’s Playhouse. At this point I can’t even begin to imagine myself moving.

Jessica: So how long have you lived in Chicago?

Jenny: I came here in 2013, so it’s been almost 4 years.

Jessica: And you’re still in school?

Jenny: Yes, I’m a full-time PhD student and a part-time Early Intervention OT (a service offered for families of babies and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities). In addition to classes, I do a lot of research and I’m involved in a number of research projects that look at the role of partnerships between healthcare providers and clients. I’m really interested in ways that therapists can better facilitate family-centered care in Early Intervention. In my dissertation work, I hope to focus on ways of improving collaboration and partnership between families and therapists in Early Intervention.

Jessica: So how did you hear about GiGi’s?

Jenny: I first heard about GiGi’s through the UIC program, Health and Diversity Academy (formerly Urban Allied Health Academy). As part of this program students partner with community organizations, like GiGi’s, in order to provide support through service hours and projects. During my time in the program I developed and ran a program called Creative Explorations at GiGi’s.

Jessica: Tell me about the programs you’re doing for GiGi’s now.

Jenny: Right now my main area of focus is programming for teens, we have four programs offered right now.  GetFit is a program that focuses on health and fitness. A sister program to that is Cooking Club, which focuses more on health through nutrition, as well as safety and independence in the kitchen. Another program that we have is called TeenTastic, which really emphasizes collaboration and teamwork, with an element of social networking through blogging. As part of the program, the teens get to work on long-term projects that result in a video or a blog post that we can share through GiGi’s social networks. Right now, the teens are working hard on putting together a video introduction to TeenTastic! So look out for that in the next month or so! And last but not least, we’re also offering Art Explosion, which focuses on creating art inspired by contemporary and classic art pieces.

In addition to the teen programs, I’ve also been co-leading a Crawlers and Walkers group. In Crawlers and Walkers, we’re working on movement and coordination for kids 0-3. We have a wide range of abilities in that program, all the way from babies working on tummy time to our very fast runners. That program is paired up with LMNOP, which is run by Grace Gibbs.

Of course, I wouldn’t be able to run these programs without the ongoing support from amazing collaborators and leaders: Patti Morrow (yoga instructor), Abbey Melling (physical therapist), Nancy Lannan (dietitian-nutritionist), Bruce E. Dempsey (artist and teacher), as well as a group of students from UIC: Rikki Ostrowski, Annie McNamara, Megan Win, Sara Brumm and Kendall Busse.

The Future is Bright at GiGi’s Chicago!

Jessica: You run a number of teen programs. What is your overall goal for these programs?

Jenny: Ever since I started at GiGi’s, I’ve had this vision for teen programs to incorporate elements of self-advocacy and empowerment. In the past, TeenTastic was a great place for teens to meet one another but at this point, most of the teens we have at GiGi’s know each other extremely well. They are already friends! So my vision across all teen programs right now is to really take it a step further. I hope that this new set of programs will offer a number of opportunities for teens to practice leadership, collaboration and self-expression. Across all of our programs right now, we’re emphasizing goal setting, both individually and as a group.

Jessica: Do you have any ideas of programs you’d like to start with GiGi’s in the future?

Jenny: My passion is working with kids 0-7. Right now I’m in the teen world, which is awesome. It’s fun, it’s something that I haven’t done a lot in the past, and I think it’s really exciting to be in this space. At the same time, I’m really looking forward to bringing back some of the programs for younger kids. I’ve being thinking a lot about programs for kids 3-7, such as a handwriting group, and I’m also working with two speech therapists to launch a new speech and language group in April. I just need an extra 24 hours in a week to make it all happen!

Jessica: Awesome! That does sound great. One more question: since you’re doing a cooking program, what’s your favorite food?

Jenny: I would say that I find comfort in any food that is Russian. Any Russian, homemade meal just brings me a sense of home. My favorite thing to eat is a Russian potato salad.

Jessica: That sounds delicious! Thank you for your time!