Milwaukee
Family Bowling Event
On April 14, families took a trip with us down to Racine for a Family Bowling Event! We had almost 70 people come out for an afternoon of bowling, pizza, and fun! Come join us in May for a free Family Activity Day at Monkey Joe's in Waukesha!
Young Leaders Bootcamp
At Bootcamp this month we continued to explore our self-directive voices and got to present to the board about our lives! We also teamed up with Young Leaders Academy and took a trip to the Medical College to learn about advocating for ourselves at the doctor's office.
Bootcamp meets on Tuesday nights at 6pm. Join us in May for gardening month!
Cooking with the Kiddos
This month at Cooking we made some pretty delicious meals! At the start of April we made homemade orange chicken, and at our second session we made spaghetti sauce, garlic bread, and fruit pizza. Cooking meets on the first and third Wednesday of the month at our state office in West Allis. Sign up here to join us in May!
Motor Skills Playgroup
Our Motor Skills Playgroup meets every second and fourth Tuesday morning! This group is a fun chance for children to learn occupational therapy skills in a free environment, while parents enjoy coffee and each other's company. Come play with us in May!
Young Leaders Academy
Our Young Leaders Academy meets every second and fourth Thursday of the month. This month we took a field trip to the Medical College of Wisconsin to learn about self-advocacy at the doctor's office and meet with the medical students. We even got to take some vitals! Classes start off with an energetic game and end with an hour of employment-readiness curriculum. Self-Advocates are invited to join our class anytime. Come spend time with us in May!
Tween Club
We had an AMAZING month at Tween Club in April. We made our own little sail boats to race in a rain gutter regatta! We had a great turnout and a lot of incredible volunteers. Next month's Tween Club will be on Friday, May 11. Drop your 10+ year old off for a night of games, snacks, activities, and more. Sign up today!
Parent's Night Out
Each month, DSAW parents, grandparents, and caregivers get together for a night of casual conversation and free appetizers. We meet every second Friday of the month! In May, we're switching it up and going to Cleveland Pub on May 11! Join us!
Family Movie Night
Every fourth Friday of the month, we invite families to a movie night at our office in West Allis! In April we watched Ferdinand!! Parents are invited to stay with their kids, or drop them off for a night of respite. Come out for movie night next month.
Club DSAW
On the fourth Saturday of the month, we get together with self-advocates ages 15+ for a special Club DSAW event! This month we went bowling at Bluemound Bowl! In May we will be taking a trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo for an afternoon of fun! Stay tuned for more details!
Green Bay
Get Air Playgroup
DSAW-Green Bay hosted its monthly playgroup at Get Air Trampoline Park in April, and wow did we have an awesome time!! Families came out to enjoy a morning of jumping fun! Come hang out with us in May at Henry Schuette Park in Manitowoc.
Self Advocate Bowling Event
April was such an awesome month for DSAW-GB! We hosted our first ever event just for self-advocates. Five young adults came out to bowl with us and enjoy a pizza lunch. Stay tuned for more self-advocate outings in the next few months!
All Abilities Family Night Out
On April 21, we went to the YMCA for a Family Night Out! We got to swim, play in the gym, do flower-themed crafts and activities, and go on a bounce house!
Parent's Night Out
Our monthly Mom's Night Out in April was open to ALL parents, grandparents, caregivers, and adult siblings. We got together at Margarita's for a casual evening of conversation, drinks, and appetizers provided by DSAW! Moms, join us for our regular Mom's Night Out in May at Hagemeister Park!
Fox Cities
Circles Class
DSAW-Fox Cities started offering Circles class on Friday nights in April. Teens and young adults got to come together to learn about safety and social boundaries! We plan to offer this class annually.
Teen FrienDS Club
For this month's Teen FrienDS Club, we got to go to a pottery painting class! We braved the snowstormy weather with our friends from Freedom HS National Honor Society and painted some awesome pottery! Thank you to The Fire Pottery Studio for hosting us!
New Parent Support Group
We also held another New Parent Support Group at the DSAW-Fox Cities office in April. This group is a kid-free zone where parents or caregivers can discuss their feelings in a non-judgmental environment. Stay tuned for future dates.
Mom's Night Out
DSAW-Fox Cities had a HUGE Mom's Night Out at Benvenuto's in Oshkosh. We have such a wonderful group of moms, and we had an amazing night enjoying food and conversation with our friends!
Sheboygan
Above & Beyond Children's Museum Field Trip
We went to the children's museum in Sheboygan for the second time! We are starting to meet there every second Monday of the month for the museum's Special Needs Night. The exhibits are adapted, sound is turned low, and the museum is closed to the general public. Come join us in May for a fun playgroup at an amazing museum!
All Abilities Dance Class
April was the first month of our All Abilities Dance Class with In Motion Dance Studio! Babies, kids, and young adults all came out to learn about proper stretching techniques and foundational dance moves. Students are invited to join the class at any time. We still have 4 sessions left! Sign up today.
La Crosse
Nature for All Families
Thanks to our beautiful friends at WisCorps, we held a Nature for All Families class on April 22 - Earth Day! Four families came together to learn about nature, make crafts with Cheerios, and touch a real snake! We're looking forward to the next installment of this class in June!
Parent's Night Out
We had an amazing group of parents come together for our April Parent's Night Out at Java Vino! Chris Peterson, the Parenting Professor, was a special guest. He is a facilitator for Love and Logic that educated us about Love and Logic parenting and we educated him about kids with Down syndrome. The reoccurring theme for the evening was More Alike Then Different. Join us for our May Parent's Night Out on May 19 at Fiesta Mexicana in La Crosse, WI.
Central WI
Mom's Coffee Date
DSAW-Central WI hosted a Mom's Coffee Date at Vino Latte on April 19! We welcomed a special guest presenter, Carol Wesley from the Achieve Center, to tell us more about how people with disabilities can reach their full potential. Join us for our May Coffee Date on the 14th!
Parent's Night Out
We also hosted a Parent's Night Out at the end of April! Parents, grandparents, and caregivers joined us at Sconni's for a casual evening of conversation and appetizers.
Rock County
In partnership with the Madison Area Down Syndrome Society, we hosted the first ever kids' playgroup in the Rock County Area! Families gathered at a library for snacks, story time, and to let their little ones play together!
