Program Highlight – Collaboration with University speech and language students supports all of us!

The Amina Grace Speech and Language with Marquette program is a fantastic collaboration between Marquette University and GiGi’s Playhouse Milwaukee. Last fall this collaboration was called Talk It Up with Marquette and this year it has evolved into a guided program with strategic outcomes based on students’ needs and skills and has changed its name to reflect the GiGi’s Playhouse Foundational program called Amina Grace Speech and Language. Amina Grace was a participant at the Hoffman Estates, IL Playhouse that passed away. Her parents wanted to give back and thus created this amazing foundation and guided program with the help of a licensed Speech and Language Therapist at the Hoffman Estates location.

Throughout each 12-week session, GiGi’s participants learn a variety of skills to increase their communication and socialization skills. Participants are provided with opportunities to evolve and refine their speech and language skills with the guidance of Master’s students from the Marquette University Speech Pathology and Audiology Department. Participants’ work on effective enunciation, clarity of speech, word order, and message meaning are paramount to fostering greater self-confidence, comprehension, problem-solving, school readiness, social skills, independence, and overall quality of life. They are paired with a student from Marquette’s Speech and Audiology Department under the supervision and direction of licensed therapist and professor Jen Eggert from Marquette. This collaboration not only teaches the Marquette students valuable skills while working in their chosen field it also provides speech therapy to our 2 to 12-year-old participants. It’s a win-win situation. To date, 32 participants have benefitted and grown with the teachings and skills of 14 Marquette Speech Therapists in training!

Amina Grace Speech and Language with Marquette will return for the spring session, beginning in February 2021. Register at
https://gigisplayhouse.org/milwaukee/amina-grace-speech-and-language-program/