Best of All: A Conversation Among Friends

We are halfway through our eight-week GiGi Prep Pilot, and our five participants are learning and growing in many ways! Our group starts the day by focusing on their mental health-something we could all benefit from doing. This is followed by an energizing fitness class, an engaging communication class, and a delicious nutrition class to end the day. Their schedule is full of learning opportunities, and one of our favorite aspects is seeing how they’re getting to know each other!

Individuals with Down syndrome spend a lot of their free time with adults who don’t have Down syndrome. As a result, our adult participants tend to socialize with program leaders, volunteers, and parents rather than their peers because that’s who they spend a lot of their time with. So often, a participant will come to the Playhouse with exciting news and share it with a program leader or volunteer instead of telling a peer. By having these five participants attend GiGi Prep two days a week for four hours each day, we are creating opportunities for natural, peer-to-peer conversations. Voshon, in particular, has embraced this and we are excited to celebrate his Best of All!

When Voshon arrived for our GiGiMOVE program, he went straight up to his classmate from GiGi Prep, Luke, and started a conversation. He has attended programs with Luke before and knows him quite well, but this was the first time his mom has witnessed him initiating a conversation with a friend at a GiGi’s program in such an unprompted, perfectly natural fashion. Big cheers for Voshon and his hard work and growth within the GiGi Prep program and all the other programs he attends at GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit!

If you would like to volunteer for GiGi Prep or any of our other great programs, please fill out this volunteer interest form. We’d love to get to know you!