Down’s Syndrome Achievement Center Expands Math Tutoring with $10K Grant

APS has provided Gigi’s Playhouse in Scottsdale a $10,000 grant to fund the organization’s math tutoring program, doubling the number of participants they can serve by expanding the teaching space.
“We see the success of the math tutoring program when parents are able to say that their kids aren’t just memorizing things, but understanding them,” said board president of GiGi’s Playhouse Phoenix Stephanie Gage. “They’re able to conceptually grasp these lessons, not just memorize the numbers on a clock.”
Gigi’s Playhouse is part of a national network of nonprofit Down’s Syndrome Achievement Centers. The first Playhouse was founded in Chicago in 2002 by Nancy Gianni who was looking for a one-stop-shop to cope with her daughter GiGi’s Down’s syndrome diagnosis.
Now, the organization has 38 international locations that serve over 80,000 individuals per year. Older students have the opportunity to participate in math tutoring in addition to other programs like GiGi Prep and GiGi University, which help combat the high-unemployment rates many people with Down’s syndrome face.
The tutoring program has already benefited 26-year-old participant Brett Schatzman, nicknamed the ‘The Mayor of GiGi’s.’
“Brett has always loved math,” said Brett’s mother, Marlene. “Having one-to-one math tutoring available has helped him gain skills working with money, something he will have to do when he works in the real world. Plus, it’s great to have the tutoring to keep his mind sharp.”
gigisplayhouse.org/phoenix