Posts by Shannon Kerin
Gabriela’s Journey in Spanish
“En el año 18 recibí una gran sorpresa estaba embarazada nació mi hija Gabriela diagnosticada con síndrome de down fue triste pero a la vez supe que tenía que luchar muy fuerte no tenía idea por dónde empezar Y entonces me hablaron de. GIGIS fue Cómo abrir una puerta que necesitábamos mucho para poder empezar…
Read MoreGiGiCon 2021
Once a year we gather together with playhouses all over the country, and Mexico, to share best practices, stories of inspiration, challenges we have faced and overcome, and to learn about new technology and program launches we have to look forward to in the next year. The GiGi’s National Conference is a chance for us…
Read MoreAbout Grace
Hi y’all, my name is Grace Spath and I am a junior speech pathology and child development double major from Lake Bluff currently studying at Texas Christian University. I am a SLP intern at GiGi’s Deerfield for the summer (and hopefully the summers to come) and have been running our Tot Talks program which is…
Read MoreNew Year and New Board Members
To sustain our mission and our playhouse we look to strong leaders. Our playhouse is governed by a board of directors who manage our fundraising and events, budgeting and program planning, advocacy and community engagement, and more. We’re so excited to announce that several new board members have joined our team this year. We would…
Read MoreNational Volunteer of the Year!
Every year in November the playhouses from across the country gather together to share ideas, best practices, and trainings to ensure we are providing the latest and greatest to our families. Although this year was our first virtual conference the impact was just as great. The last day of conference we celebrate #bestofall moments, volunteers,…
Read MoreIntroducing Erin
My name is Erin E. Mallicoat and I’m from Northbrook, Illinois. I’m 21 years old and I have one older brother, two of the sweetest dogs in the world, and I live with my awesome mom and dad! At the age of 2, I was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and Turner Syndrome. Even though I…
Read MoreI Am the Storm
Before Finn was born I had all these fears and thoughts about his future, about my future. Would he make friends, go to school, hold a job, move out of our house? He arrived and my fears and thoughts had to change to focus on what was immediately in front of me. How long would…
Read MoreLanguage, Music, N’ Our Peeps at the Park
It felt like Christmas in August at our first ever outdoor LMNOP this past weekend. Our excitement and joy was felt throughout the park. FOURTEEN families including THREE BRAND NEW FAMILIES gathered at a safe, social-distance to work on those important speech and communication skills with Jill and Judith. Our families were thrilled to see…
Read MoreHow to Stay Active
How to Stay Active at Home Maintaining a healthy lifestyle for you and your family is challenging enough without the burden of COVID-19. It seems like most days are more work than play, and the last thing you want to do is add another thing to your list of “to-dos”. Make being active a lifestyle…
Read MoreThe Power of GiGi’s At Home
I have written many times about what GiGi’s means to me. Now officially five years in, I can say the playhouse has truly shaped who I am and recently I have gotten to witness the impact it has on my daughter. We learn so much from the kids and adults we work with, but also…
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