GiGi’s Educator Symposium: helping everyone reach their full potential 

We’ve all been there before. We have an ambitious goal — at school, at work, at the gym — and as insurmountable as the goal may seem, we know we can accomplish it; we just need the right tools. 

At GiGi’s Playhouse, we provide those tools. We believe that individuals with Down syndrome are just like anyone else — they have dreams, ambitions, and goals. While they may face certain challenges and obstacles, our FREE educational, therapeutic, and career development programs help them reach their potential. 

Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about how individuals with Down syndrome learn best and how to tap into their unique strengths. We’ve sharpened our tools and ensured that our programs genuinely help individuals with Down syndrome achieve their dreams and gain independence. 

But we’ve also noticed that many teachers, therapists, paraprofessionals, and even parents didn’t have those same tools to help individuals with Down syndrome thrive. 

Thankfully, that’s where the GiGi’s Educator Symposium comes in. 

The spark behind the Educator Symposium 

Starting in October of 2021, our Educator Symposium is a FREE online event that happens twice a year. Its mission is simple: to provide our attendees with the tools and actionable strategies they need to empower individuals with Down syndrome. 

At GiGi’s Playhouse, we recognize that everyone is doing their best — educators, paraprofessionals, therapists, parents, grandparents, and more — everyone wants to help individuals with Down syndrome succeed, but often, they lack the knowledge or training specific to Down syndrome. 

But we didn’t just see this as a problem; we saw it as an opportunity. 

Instead of simply focusing inside our Playhouse walls, we realized we could reach the larger community and provide educators and more with the specific tools they need to help individuals with Down syndrome succeed; that’s when the Educator Symposium was born. 

What happens at the Educator Symposium? 

Since its inception, the GiGi’s Educator Symposium has been all about helping attendees gain the knowledge and skills they need to support individuals with Down syndrome. We provide a space where teachers, therapists, paraprofessionals, and families can come together to learn practical tools and strategies they can use immediately. 

At our symposium, we dive deep into the science behind how individuals with Down syndrome learn. We bring in experts like Dr. Sara Mann, PT, DPT, MBA, NSCA-CPT, and Dr. Jennifer Spiric, PT, DPT, co-creators of the GiGiFIT program, to talk about the physiological differences that affect learning and how to use that knowledge to help students excel. We also bring in speech therapists, occupational therapists, and experienced teachers to help our attendees learn even more! 

But it’s not just about the theory—it’s about practical application. Attendees leave the symposium with concrete strategies they can use in the classroom, at home, or anywhere else to help individuals with Down syndrome build confidence, independence, and skills.  

And our impact is growing. 

What started as a small virtual event in 2021 with 83 attendees has grown steadily throughout the years. Our last symposium saw 453 attendees, and the growth isn’t stopping there. We’ve partnered with amazing organizations like College of Education at the University of Texas at El Paso, Co Shines, the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership at Binghamton University, and California State University, Stanislaus to bring more resources, knowledge, and Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits to the table. 

The impact is undeniable. Attendees leave the symposium with fresh insights, practical strategies, and a new sense of confidence in how to support individuals with Down syndrome. As they take these tools back to the world at large, members of the Down syndrome community get one step closer to reaching their potential and achieving independence. 

After all, when you have the right tools, anything is possible. 

Interested in attending our next FREE Educator Symposium? You can register here!  Additionally, if you’re interested in becoming an Education Partner, please contact us at programs2@gigisplayhouse.org.