Celebrate Down syndrome ACCEPTANCE Month
October is Down Syndrome ACCEPTANCE Month – an entire month dedicated to shouting our friends’ and children’s worth from the rooftops! We’ve collected some great ideas from other parents about what they’ll be doing to celebrate differences and encourage inclusion in our communities!
Share Facts about Down syndrome!
Even though Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition, there are still so many people who don’t know much about it, or have never met a person with Down syndrome! There are a lot of great ways you can share common facts about Down syndrome: regular social media posts throughout the month, designing and posting a bulletin board at your child’s school or daycare, and sending home a handout about your child with common questions about Down syndrome. This fosters awareness and allows his/her classmates to go home and have conversations about inclusion with their families. Siblings often love to advocate too – help them create a short presentation for their own classes
Create a Fundraiser!
In honor of Down syndrome Acceptance Month create a “Celebration Club” through our own platform with funds going directly to our GiGi’s Playhouse Cleveland location for immediate impact and acknowledgement to our generous donors.
Each donation helps us change the way the world views Down syndrome and helps in providing FREE purposeful programming to individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the community! By celebrating throughout the month, you also help celebrate and support the many achievements of GiGi’s Playhouse participants.
Generation G in Action!
Educators! Administrators! Counselors! What a great way to celebrate and promote generosity, kindness, and acceptance! Email us to receive this graphic to print off on stickers or hand out as a small token of acknowledgment when you see Generation G in Action! Your class or school can take the Generation G Pledge and go next level, too!
Dimes for Down syndrome!
You can try this idea at a school, in your workplace, or as a family project in your home. Just put out a jar and whenever you receive a dime during the month of October, drop it in the jar. At the end of October (or whatever given amount of time you choose), donate the dimes to GiGi’s Playhouse’s free, purposeful, and educational programming!
Sip on some coffee at Roasted!
Head on over to Roasted at one of their locations and grab a “GiGi’s Oatmeal Cookie Latte”! Erin and Mary created this delicious drink, with help from Roasted owner Sofia Syed, for a fall drink that gives back to our Playhouse! Stop by throughout the entire month as a portion of the proceeds from this drink will go directly to our Cleveland Playhouse! Thank you, Roasted!
Lakewood Location: 13417 Madison Avenue
Tremont Location: 2275 Professor Avenue
Send an Advocate to Talk to Your School or Workplace!
Contact Lizz Maxwell at the Playhouse to schedule a day and time for her and one of our ambassadors to come and speak to your child’s school or your workplace about the Down syndrome diagnosis. Lizz caters her discussion at the level that’s just right for your child and their classmates to learn about Generation G and have your school take the Generation G Pledge!
Email Lizz today at emaxwell@gigisplayhouse.org
Donate Books!
An easy way to introduce the idea of Down syndrome and different abilities to your child’s classmates is to donate books to his/her classroom or school library. Here are some we recommend:
Celebrate at the Playhouse!
Join us at GiGi’s Playhouse on Saturday, October 21st from 10:00-11:00 am as we celebrate our friends and family with Down syndrome!
All ages are welcome at our DSAM celebration! We invite you to bring your friends and family, too!
Become a Volunteer!
GiGi’s Playhouse is a volunteer-run organization and we rely on the skill and dedication of volunteers of various levels of expertise to keep our programs vibrant, educational, fun, and free. Since the first Playhouse opened in 2003, GiGi’s Playhouse programs have always been free for our families. Parents, family members, clinicians, and individuals who believe in the GiGi’s Playhouse mission act as volunteers in GiGi’s Playhouse programs, events, administrative offices, and on our Board of Managers. If you are interested in donating your time and talent, let us know!
Attend or Sponsor our Brews and Beats Event!
Join us for an evening of good food, drinks, music, and advocacy! Adults from our popular drumming/music program, Project Pulse, will be taking the stage throughout the evening to bring the beats and get everyone on their feet! The event will take place on Saturday, November 11th at Tenk West Bank and will still include all the fun from previous years – including local craft beers, a wine pull, live and silent auctions, fund-a-cause, raffle, and our popular Heads or Tails game! We are excited to have Dave Chudowsky from WKYC back again as our emcee, too!
How are you celebrating Down syndrome Acceptance Month? Let us know by tagging GiGi’s Playhouse Cleveland in your social media posts, emailing us, or commenting below!
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