Our GiGi Prep Journey – Three Weeks In

Three weeks into our GiGi Prep pilot program, participants are building foundational skills for their career readiness journey. From day one, we’ve focused on creating connections and making learning interactive and fun.

[IMAGE 1: GiGi Prep participants attending a lesson in Club G, with materials spread out on tables as they learn new skills]

What is Gigi Prep?

The Gigi Prep program emphasizes building communication skills, money management, customer service skills, team building, health and wellness, and more. Recommended for adults 18+, we want to motivate adults with Down syndrome to work towards their futures.    

GiGi Prep focuses on four core areas: communication, fitness, nutrition, and money management. We meet two times a week to work on these foundational skills that will prepare participants for future programs and employment opportunities.    

Getting to Know Each Other

Our first sessions began with introductions where participants shared their interests and got to know their peers through open-ended questions. This creates a foundation for connection, which becomes essential as we work together on building skills throughout the program. Watching participants discover shared interests and form friendships has been one of the most rewarding aspects of these early weeks.

One activity they participated in was partner card exercises where participants practiced asking each other open-ended questions on various topics, helping them develop conversation skills. We also used M&M activities where each candy color corresponded to a specific question. Participants selected a color, read the associated question aloud, answered it themselves, and then invited others to share their responses. This created natural opportunities for group discussion and active listening practice.

Communication and Presentation Practice

Participants designed personal vision boards featuring pictures of them and friends, goals and positive qualities. Each person was encouraged to write additional positive comments on their vision board of each of their peers.

Some participants’ positive qualities identified on their vision boards included descriptors like having a nice smile, being funny, kind, caring, and helpful.

 Some goals the participants came up with were fitness goals, such as wanting to exercise for longer durations to adding an extra workout day each week, with several expressing interest in continuing GiGiFIT workouts at home. Nutrition goals focused on practical MyPlate applications – eating more fruit and protein while being mindful of portion sizes.

[IMAGE 2: Participants working collaboratively to create their vision boards, using photos, markers, and colorful poster boards]

Then, each participant presented their board to the group, practicing eye contact and clear speaking – essential workplace communication skills. This activity combined creative expression with public speaking practice, allowing participants to work on eye contact and clear communication while sharing meaningful personal content with their peers.

A Best of All moment we celebrated was when Monica demonstrated leadership by volunteering to be the first person to present her vision board to the group. She confidently explained each picture on her board and read aloud all the positive characteristics she had written about herself. Throughout her entire presentation, she maintained a smile and made eye contact with the group. Her willingness to go first helped set a positive tone for the other presentations and showed positive growth in her communication confidence. Way to go Monica!

[IMAGES 3-4: Monica presenting her vision board to the group, demonstrating the presentation skills emphasized throughout the program]

[IMAGE 5: The GiGi Prep group celebrating together after completing their vision boards, showing the variety of colorful boards they created]

Hands-On Nutrition Learning

Our nutrition sessions are particularly interactive. We spent focused time working with MyPlate guidelines, with participants collaborating to create balanced menus. Instead of simply discussing yogurt, we explored making parfaits that incorporated multiple food groups from their plates, combining fruits, dairy, and grains to create a more complete nutritional picture.

Reading nutrition labels became an engaging detective activity, where participants learned to identify key information like serving sizes, calories, and nutrients. We even organized kitchen scavenger hunts; each participant was assigned one part of MyPlate and had to find examples in the kitchen. These hands-on activities helped make nutrition concepts practical and memorable, turning abstract guidelines into real-world skills they can use every day.

Creative Fitness Fun

Our workout sessions have been full of energy and creativity! We’ve incorporated games like “Would You Rather” to make exercise choices more engaging.

We also use dice games where participants take turns rolling to determine both the exercise and the duration, turning fitness into an element of surprise and fun. This approach helps build healthy habits while keeping everyone engaged and laughing together. The unpredictability of the dice keeps everyone on their toes, and ensures that each workout session feels exciting.

What’s Next

We’re planning our fall GiGi Prep session based on what we learned from this pilot group. We’re  accepting applications now, and ask that participants commit to attend each lesson within the session.

All programs at GiGi’s Playhouse Lancaster are free, thanks to our donors and volunteers who support acceptance and achievement for all. If you have questions about participating in or volunteering for this program, please contact the Playhouse at lancaster@gigisplayhouse.org.