GiGi’s Playhouse Portland’s First 100 Days… 

Happy New Year from the Pacific Northwest’s First Down Syndrome Achievement Center…GiGi’s Playhouse Portland!  

It’s been an incredible first hundred days of serving families, raising amazing volunteers, working out the inevitable “kinks”, equipping the playhouse for growth and honoring donors and sponsors who believe so strongly in GiGi’s mission of acceptance and inclusion. The following are key accomplishments of our 1^st 100 days: 

• GiGi’s Playhouse Opened in Portland: This isn’t breaking news in January, but it was the most significant achievement 2024! 

• The six signature group programs: LMNOP; Destination Discovery; TeenTastic; Fantastic Friends; Family Fun; and Open Play have delivered close to 600 participant-hours in their first six program sessions. 

• Monthly utilization and impact is growing: 
  • Program check-ins: Up 10% 
  • Program participation hours: Up 13% 
  • Unique Participants: Up 14%  
  • Participating families: Up 14% 
  • In our first 100 days, 27% of all families in our “family database” are utilizing our Free programs. 

GiGi’s Playhouse Portland: The Next 100 Days… 

Welcome Shan Nixon…to the GiGi’s staff! Stronger than expected demand for programs, program leads, program assistants and other volunteers have led GiGi’s Playhouse to accelerate our second staff hire…Shan Nixon, GiGi’s Program and Volunteer Coordinator. 

• New Program Pilots: 
  • GiGiFIT Kids (ages 6-9): An amazing team of PT’s from OHSU are leading this pilot on Thursday evenings at 6PM. Space is still available until January 29^th to join the pilot. 
  • Literacy Tutoring: GiGi’s Playhouse plans to pilot FREE 1:1 Literacy Tutoring this spring. Are you patient and willing to teach? We will fill in the rest with amazing training to be a GiGi’s Playhouse Tutor. Contact us at portland@gigisplayhouse.org for more information. 
  • Amina Grace Speech Program: Offered in over 25 cities in the US, GiGi’s Playhouse Portland is planning its pilot of FREE speech therapy this summer. Are you a licensed SLP that would like to give back to the community? Contact us at portland@gigisplayhouse.org and learn more. 

• Educator Symposium March 8^th: Join a team of experienced educators and therapists from across the GiGi’s Playhouse Network to learn how to teach individuals with Down syndrome the way they learn best. Since 2003, we have been working nonstop to empower individuals with Down syndrome to reach their full potential and move toward independence.  We encourage the families we serve to invite their teachers, paraprofessionals, and therapists.   Register Here 

What’s next? Let’s find out together!