Hard Work Always Pays Off!

Being good at something right away is rare; practice makes progress and that’s all we can ever aspire to. One participant, Samir, has been working really hard to make that progress pay off! Samir has been busy in speech sessions for the last few months working on slowing his speech and making sure his words…

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New Program Alert: Dance!!

Do you love to dance? Do you feel the beat when you hear a great song come on the radio? If so, we have an awesome new program starting next week for all the dancers out there! Dance will be offered at GiGi’s Playhouse as a limited-time program for Spring and Summer 2020. This program…

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It All Adds Up: Math is Awesome!

For some of us (okay, maybe a lot of us!), math is not our favorite subject. There are so many concepts that can be easy or difficult to grasp, and even more that we don’t bother to try! Typical ways of teaching math can be complex and daunting. Luckily for our individuals with Down syndrome,…

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Career Development Spotlight: Catie!

GiGi’s Playhouse provides programs and support for all ages, and some of our ultimate goals are to help individuals with Down syndrome gain motor skills, life skills, and career skills, to name a few. Catie is a graduate of GiGi University and has been working in Hugs and Mugs and learned so many skills. Last…

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Volunteer of the Month: Saima Siddiqui!

Saima has been volunteering with GiGi’s for about a year and has made a great impact in a short amount of time. She initially helped out with our events, and became a tutor in the Fall 2019 session. She taught three of our adult participants in both math and literacy. Many of our tutors worry…

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January Happenings!

Come join us for some fun this month at the Hoffman Playhouse! Events! Playhouse Closed Wednesday, January 1 Volunteer Orientation: Tuesday, January 14 from 6-7 pm Family Speaker Series Webinar: Thursday, January 16 from 7-8 pm Spring Tutoring and Speech begins Monday, January 20 New Family Orientation: Friday, January 31st from 6-7:30 pm Programs! All…

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Career Development Achievement Ceremony!

We had such a special ceremony to recognize all our participants in GiGi U, GiGi Prep, Hugs and Mugs, and GiGi Professional! Throughout all these programs, there has been so much accomplishment and progress to show. We are always working towards tangible skills with focus on boosting career skills, self-confidence, personal wellness, peer and community engagement,…

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1:1 Literacy Spotlight: Rose!

Rose came to GiGi’s to develop her communication skills. I was presented with a lovely young lady who was nonverbal, very shy, and heavily dependent on her tablet to assist her in connecting with the world. She even struggled with making eye contact early on. I decided the best way to help Rose was to…

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GiGi Prep Spotlight: Tayla!

GiGi Prep is a progressive learning program for adults, comprised of modular programs that meet twice a week for 12 weeks that encompass Confident U, Healthy U, and Whole U. The GiGi Prep program emphasizes communication skills, money management, customer service skills, team building, and wellness. This program is an application based program with high…

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Volunteer Spotlight: Christine Rosato!

There is no doubt that GiGi’s Playhouse has some of the best volunteers out there! They all deserve ALL the recognition, but this month, we are looking at a very special tutor. Chris Rosato has been tutoring at the Hoffman Playhouse for almost two years and has worked with several different students and families Chris…

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