Special Education
Meet our newest Board Member: Kristen Byers
Meet our newest Board Member: Kristen Byers Kristen Byers is a nature-based 4K teacher for a program that is partnered with West Bend School District, Riveredge Nature Center, and Kettle Moraine YMCA. She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature from UW-Milwaukee and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University-Mequon and is…
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Sue Haessler
Sue – Program Leader for Leaps & Bounds Sue Haessler is a retired speech-language pathologist who spent 34 years perfecting her craft. Once she retired she knew she wanted to volunteer in a community that would benefit from her experience. Covid delayed her a bit, but now she’s ready to give back. Sue is looking…
Read MoreProgram Highlight: GiGi Kitchen
GiGi’s Kitchen is designed to emphasize the importance of health and wellness through nutrition education, kitchen safety, food preparation, social activities, and a shared meal/snack. Participants will learn about and progress through skills including measurements, food handling, knife skills, ingredient identification, palette expansion, and nutrition. Participants will be introduced to various cooking techniques and will…
Read MoreProgram Highlight: Leaps and Bounds
Leaps & Bounds gets a makeover! (ages 2-7) This great program is getting an update thanks to the students and professors at Carroll University! Each week participants, their families and students from the following departments: Art Therapy, Music Therapy, OT, PT, and Nursing will enjoy a lot of hands-on learning and have fun together! Leaps and…
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight – Caroline
Caroline – Literacy Tutor Hello! My name is Caroline Carrothers, and I am a summer literacy tutor for GiGi’s. I was born in Puerto Rico, but I’ve grown up in Wisconsin. After graduating from Georgetown, I moved to Portugal to teach English and Spanish at Universidade da Beira Interior. Due to COVID, I was obligated…
Read MoreGiGiFIT Program TRIAL
Ever wondered what GiGiFIT is all about? Come to try it and see the program in action. Learn about what skills are worked on, the various age groups, locations, and more! GiGiFIT: Combines physical therapy with a strong fitness focus. Specifically addressing hypotonia and excessive joint laxity, the GiGiFIT programs are safe, effective, and progressive.…
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Kelly – GiGiFIT Infant and Toddler Program Leader
I’m Kelly Starsky – “Ms. Kelly” at the Playhouse! I’m a Marquette graduate and have been a pediatric physical therapist my whole career. While I have worked in Birth to Three and outpatient clinics in the past, I’ve mostly worked in public schools— that’s truly where my heart is happy! When I was growing up…
Read MoreProgram Spotlight: GiGi Prep an adult OT and life skills program
GiGi Prep with Mount Mary University OT This NEW program will be led by Master’s students from Mt. Mary’s Occupational Therapy (OT) program under the supervision of a licensed professor. Participants (ages 18 and older) will apply for this specialty program. Together they will work on their communication skills to become self-advocates and Playhouse Ambassadors. Participants will develop skills…
Read MoreJuliette shows her Best of All!
We love hearing about how our programs impact our participants and their families. Juliette’s mom, Cathy, shared “Fantastic Friends is the BEST thing that happened during the pandemic.” Juliette has been attending each virtual session, nearly 32 hours! This has helped her to make some great friendships that have since transferred to in-person meetings. For…
Read MoreRegister for Literacy or Math Tutoring and Book Club – SUMMER Sessions
Click Here All programs at GiGi’s Playhouse are completely FREE to individuals with Down syndrome and our friends with other disabilities but they are not free for the Playhouse. These programs would not be possible without our amazing volunteers, donations, company matches, and grants. SUMMER 2021 Enrollment is now OPEN! TUTORING (Ages 3 and older)…
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