Finding a Place to Belong
This post is about a pilot program established by GiGi's Playhouse Madison called Dynamic Duals. This is a monthly program designed specifically for families & individuals with a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome-Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or sensory or behavioral challenges. Parents meet in one area to connect, have fun, share...
Volunteer Spotlight- LMNOP and Edgewood College
LMNOP Fun! To close out our Volunteer Appreciation Month spotlights- we are sharing about some of our awesome Child Life students from Edgewood College! Emily Jost, Kendra Sanderfoot, Lauren Reilly and Laney Garrels lead our LMNOP (Language, Music 'N Our Peeps) program on Friday morning. This dedicated group brings energy,...
Volunteers that Inspire
April is Volunteer Appreciation month and we are sharing another inspiring story with you. Betsy and Jayna in a literacy session Betsy Kelley is a new volunteer and first time Literacy tutor with GiGi's. From the very beginning Betsy has given her own "best of all" by fully preparing for...
Volunteer Spotlight: Susan Dukin
Dedication and Passion April is volunteer appreciation month and while we like to celebrate our incredibly dedicated volunteers every day, we are thrilled to take a moment to truly celebrate Susan! In January 2022 Susan stopped in with a donation from her family and immediately signed up to be...
Welcome Board Member- Tim McDonald
Passion and Experience We are fortunate to have growth in our Board of Directors and are thrilled to introduce you to Tim McDonald! Tim is not only a Board Member, he is also a Playhouse Dad. Tim has spent 36 years with the steamfitters union as a superintendent and project...
Welcome Board Member- Fred Swanson
Experience and Personality! We are excited to share that Fred Swanson has joined our Board of Directors! Fred has recently retired from public education in Wisconsin. He spent 29 years at West HS in Madison, WI where he developed and led a team of dedicated educators in the delivery of...
World Down Syndrome Day- A Day to Showcase How Capable our Community Is
photo credit: Stephanie Ann Schnizlein Guest Blog by Playhouse Mom- Michele Riederer We did not know of Thomas' diagnosis until after birth but, I can tell you that I spent A LOT of time thinking about what life will look like for him. I thought about how he will get...
Lucky for So Many Reasons
Guest Blog by Playhouse Mom - Abby Green: Today we feel lucky. Although he’s a little extra and rare, we sure feel lucky that Owen is ours! From conception, our youngest only had a 0.8% chance of surviving… yet here he is changing our world (and maybe changing...
World Down Syndrome Day- A New Mom’s Perspective
Guest post by Playhouse mom- Allie World Down Syndrome Day This day is celebrated on March 21st, or 3/21. This date was selected because Down syndrome is created by a 3rd copy of the 21st chromosome. This time last year, I felt dread and guilt on this day. ...
Welcome to Annie Nymann!
Annie Nymann- Program and Volunteer Coordinator Please help us welcome our newest, and 2nd, staff member Annie Nymann! Annie is our new Program and Volunteer Coordinator and comes to us with a background in theatre, music, administration and special education. Her unique background will bring a fresh perspective to this...
Forward is a Fun Way to Go
One year ago today we re-opened our Playhouse doors, on a limited basis, since closing in-person programming due to the pandemic. We welcomed four famlies, one at a time, for our first in-person Speech and Language Therapy session after having our doors closed for 11 months! We were thankful as...
Hearts full of Love- Congenital Heart Awareness Week
Guest Blog post by Allie Backus February 7th marks the start of Congenital Heart Awareness Week. Did you know that 1 in every 100 babies born each year will have congenital heart disease? According to Children’s Health, a baby born with Down syndrome, has a 50% chance of having...