A Look Into Our Weekly Achievers Program

The GiGi’s Achievers program empowers adults with Down syndrome with purposeful activities to ensure continued learning and fulfillment of life. This program teaches and promotes communication, self-awareness, independence, health and wellness through community engagement. Each lesson will provide participants with “hands on” learning experiences in a naturally occurring environment.

Our Achievers participants meet every Monday at GiGi’s Playhouse Lancaster from 11:00am-2:00pm and participate in various themed activities, eat lunch together, and exercise together. They have been very busy with various activities throughout this year so far, so we want to give you a look into some of their weekly activities.

1.) In January, the Achievers started off their year by creating their own folders with goal sheets. They each chose their own word of the year and created goals.

2.) The group played a new game of Giant Jenga

3.) The Achievers participated in a Cheese Tasting, where they learned about what kind of cheese pairs well with certain fruits, meats, crackers, nuts. They also enjoyed sparkling cider with their cheese.

4.) Before the Superbowl, the participants discussed and voted for which team they thought would win the Superbowl. In small groups, they also created their our own cheers, and performed them as if we were the cheerleaders at the Superbowl.

5.) The day before the presidential election, the Achievers talked about voting and voted for the presidential candidates in their own election, seeing who would win in their group. They also shared what each of them would do if they were to be elected president.

6.) On President’s day, the Achievers had a step by step drawing lesson on how to draw the faces of past presidents: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

7.) As the weather started to warm up, the participants started to go on walks outside. Some days, they would break up into teams and complete a scavenger hunt relay or similar activity.

8.) In February, the Achievers group learned how to mold and create clay hearts that were used for gifts for some sponsors at the Gala.

9.) They played Pie in the Face, accompanied by lots of laughter!

10.) Some Achievers participants visited their volunteer group leader in the hospital when she was recovering from back surgery.

11.) The Achievers worked together on art projects that were silent auction items for the Gala in March.

12.) Each week, the Achievers group had a #GenG Talk, learning when and how to use kind words such as please, thank you, and excuse me. They also discussed what it means to Be Accepting, Be Generous, and Be Kind, each component of #GenerationG.

13.) The group created a Kindness Web by saying something kind to one person and then throwing the ball of yarn to that person. By doing this with everyone in the group, it created a huge web of kind words!

14.) Ashlyn is an Achievers participant. Ashlyn chose a goal to bake cupcakes for her friends. At Achievers, she worked with her group to bake and decorate cupcakes with and for her friends.

15.) In April, every participant and volunteer brought in a baby photo of them and they were arranged on a “Spring Chicks” tri-fold board so everyone could guess who each baby was. It was very cute to see everyone!

16.) The Achievers participants worked together to fill hundreds of eggs for the various Easter Egg Hunts that were held at the Playhouse.

17.) Each month, the participants worked together to write, stuff, stamp and label birthday cards for every participant with a birthday that month. They also worked together to write, stuff, stamp and label thank you notes for sponsors and donors that gave that month.

18.) After lunch each week, the Achievers participate in various fun exercises and gross motor activities related to themes, such as playing heads and tails, dice games, name exercise games, and learning an Irish Jig on St. Patrick’s Day.

19.) In April, the Achievers worked on following directions to make and paint creative and funny Mother’s Day planters, as well as potting the plants.

20.) Ronnie is an Achievers participant. Ronnie chose a goal to open a restaurant. To work towards this larger goal, one of the smaller steps Ronnie chose to do to learn to serve others, was to create her own salad bar. She planned what she wanted in the salad bar, prepped the veggies, created the salad bar and made it available to her friends at Achievers.

We’re so proud of all the achievements our Achievers are making! We’re proud of the friendships they are developing and how they are working towards their goals!