Generation G Youth Board – Advocates in Action

The GiGi’s Generation G Youth Board is a passionate group of young leaders dedicated to spreading the Generation G mission: Be Accepting. Be Generous. Be Kind. In honor of World Down Syndrome Day, each member was tasked with bringing this mission to life in their school communities—raising awareness, fostering inclusion, and making a lasting impact. This year, Youth Board members Brooke, Liam, and Catherine stepped up in incredible ways, organizing events that championed acceptance and celebrated individuals of all abilities. Read below to hear about the success of their initiatives in their own words!

Brooke – Saint Joseph’s Academy

Earlier this year, Brooke hosted GiGi’s Playhouse Cleveland’s Lizz Maxwell and an incredible GiGi’s Playhouse mother-daughter duo, Summer and Oakley Andrews, to speak at Saint Joseph Academy.

They shared valuable information about GiGi’s Playhouse, Down Syndrome, and how to further promote inclusivity in a community. A few students even inquired about how to start volunteering at GiGi’s! 

Liam – St. Edward High School

To celebrate Down syndrome and spread awareness, the Youth Board brought GiGi’s message to Saint Ed’s. For World Down Syndrome Day, we set up a program that encouraged students at Saint Ed’s to take the Generation G pledge and commit to being generous, inclusive, and kind. Over the course of three days, from the 19th to the 21st, 92 students and faculty members took the pledge. In addition to the program ran in the common area of the school, we celebrated World Down Syndrome Day by wearing mismatched socks! Students around Saint Ed’s proudly rocked their socks to show their support for our Down syndrome community and their commitment to kindness. In connecting GiGi’s message to the faith aspect of Saint Eds, members of the Saint Andres Program, Nick Gray (senior), Johnny Mural (sophomore), and Harley Marks (freshman) independently read the afternoon prayer to the whole school during the 3-day program. The program went fabulous raising awareness and spreading kindness into the Saint Ed’s  community.

Catherine – Avon Lake High School

Catherine recently led Disability Awareness Week at Eastview Elementary, promoting understanding, inclusion, and empathy. The week featured engaging classroom activities and discussions about disabilities, culminating in a school-wide assembly with guest speakers.

Summer Andrews, a GiGi’s Playhouse parent, spoke about Down syndrome, inclusion, and the Generation G message while highlighting all the amazing things GiGi’s Playhouse offers. Aubrey Kozar, a freshman at Avon Lake High School, shared her inspiring journey of excelling in sports despite having a prosthetic leg due to fibular hemimelia. She recently won two Division I para state swimming titles and is trying out for the Paralympic team this summer.

After the assembly, students participated in interactive stations simulating various disabilities, fostering a deeper understanding of accessibility and inclusion.

We are so incredibly proud of our Generation G Youth Board members for their dedication to advocacy, inclusion, and kindness. Their efforts in spreading the Generation G mission in their schools and communities have made a real impact, and we know this is just the beginning! Thank you, Brooke, Liam, Catherine, and all of our amazing youth leaders, for being champions of acceptance. Keep shining and making the world a more inclusive place!