focus
Participant Best of All – Myron
“Our 3 y/o son Myron has gained independence, is singing along to more songs, is making more sounds, and is imitating more words. Miss Fiona and Ms. Jen are always coming up with fun activities to keep my son engaged and his sister loves to come along and play.” – Kristy, Myron’s mom. Kristy is referring…
Read MoreCommunity Connection – Brillant DPI
On Nov. 16, 2023, GiGi’s Playhouse Milwaukee had new pictures applied to the Welcome Windows greeting everyone as they walk past and enter GiGi’s. The company applying the new pictures was Brillant DPI and owner Chris Sherman was leading the application. Chris, who happens to be a good friend to a family that attends GiGi’s…
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Tyler Madoche – Empowering Inclusivity while getting participants GiGiFIT!
We say goodbye this month to Tyler Madoche – our long-time GiGiFIT instructor at Balance Fitness, who came to us in August 2021 and quickly became the heart and soul behind our Adult fitness program. As a certified fitness instructor, Tyler combined his fitness know-how with his warm and welcoming vibe, to create an awesome supportive…
Read MoreA Deeper Understanding of Down Syndrome
Down syndrome is a genetic condition that is often misunderstood. This article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of Down syndrome, elucidating what it is, its types, and the unique characteristics of people living with this condition. It is essential to understand that every person with Down syndrome is unique, with their own strengths, likes,…
Read MoreThe Power of Inclusion: Celebrating Local Individuals with Down Syndrome in Swimming
At first glance, swimming may seem like a simple recreational activity or sport, but for individuals with Down syndrome, there is more to it than that. The joys and challenges of swimming on a team also shows the importance of integration and inclusion in sporting activities. It is still not commonplace to see our friends…
Read MorePartnership: Roschambo Eyewear & GiGi’s Playhouse Milwaukee
Roshambo Eyewear is excited to be a contributing partner of GiGi’s Playhouse nationwide. In its new program, Roshambo will donate 10% of all sales generated by GiGi’s Playhouse facilities and members back to the non-profit every month. In addition to the donation, Roshambo will also be offering a 20% discount to GiGi’s Playhouse members in support of their…
Read MoreGiGi’s Goes to Rainbow Day Camp, 2023
The first week of August, 2023 we took 10 participants of GiGi’s Playhouse to Rainbow Day Camp as a guest of the Jewish Community Center (JCC). Our participants spanned the ages of 10-18 and all have Down syndrome. Due to the supports put in place by our volunteers and prior camp coordination, our campers blended…
Read MoreTutoring – A Volunteer’s Perspective
This summer I had the opportunity to tutor a 7-year-old named Miles in literacy. I really enjoyed doing this and I think that the experience was definitely something I would do again. It was a little tricky getting Miles to focus on what we were supposed to do, but after trying different ways to get…
Read MoreParticipant Best of All: Baz – How his focus grew this summer.
Leaps and Bounds, I know here we go again, but wait it’s another kid doing great things, showing his Best of All…Seriously, this program has it all for our young learners! There is music for sing-a-longs with sign language to grow our communication skills, obstacle courses of all kinds to get the wiggles out in…
Read MoreWORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY 2023
As World Down Syndrome Day approaches, I have a confession to make. I have never really understood if we were supposed to celebrate Down syndrome or spread awareness. Officially, WDSD was founded and officially observed by the United Nations in 2012 as a global awareness day. The 21st day of the 3rd month was selected…
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