State

Looking Back on July 2023

Southeastern

Down Home BBQ

The Down Home BBQ is a favorite event for both DSAW families and staff! This year we had over 230 people attend! Brats and burgers prepared by our amazing grill team were served with pasta salad, fruit, cookies, and other desserts that were enjoyed by everyone. We also received a surprise donut donation from Grebe’s Bakery. Throughout the day, kids had a lot of fun with splash painting, playing in the water games/inflatable water slide area, yard game area which included hula hoops, cornhole, a bubble table, SHAW hockey and more, and dancing to live music by Hot Off the Grill. We appreciate everyone who came and the 30 volunteers who helped make it happen, and look foward to another great BBQ next summer!

KRW

Kingfish Game

KRW ended the month with a Kingfish Game! It was a fun and cozy evening as DSAW families gathered to watch the game. Although our team didn’t win, everyone had a good time watching the game and cheering the Kingfish’s on!

Green Bay

Family Fun Night at Bay Beach

Families had a great time at our family event on Tuesday night, July 18. DSAW provided each family with 25 ride tickets and a sweet treat. It was a perfect night to enjoy the rides and connect with friends! We look forward to doing it again next summer with even more friends!

South Central

Golf Outing 2023

South Central's 2023 Golf Outing was a huge success! We had about 130 golfers, 40 volunteers, and others that attended the program and dinner. It was a very warm and humid day for golf but everyone still had fun with the golf hole games and enjoyed stopping by the hole serving up Tito's. 

Adventure at Timbavati Wild Life Park

South Central also had a fun safari Day at Timbavati Wildlife Park! The park, located in Wisconsin Dells, offers a family-friendly, immersive experiences in a beautiful environment. It is home to over 400 animals that represent over 75 different species. We had a blast hanging out with all the animals and riding the train as we toured the park.

Central

Splash & Swim Outing

The 2nd annual Splash & Swim Outing was a fun day in the sun at the Weston Aquatic Center. Everyone enjoyed the day playing and splashing in the pool. The families were able to have great conversations, eating cupcakes, and the frosting even turned some mouths & tongues blue!

Chippewa Valley

Trinity Equine Therapy Day

Chippewa Valley families had a fun day at Trinity Equine Therapy getting to experience how amazing horses are. The afternoon was spent being introduced to horses, bonding with them, brushing them, and even doing an obstacle course. They had 4 horses and 2 ponies for us to interact with, as well as several workers helping, including an individual with Down syndrome.  With some snacks and painting after, it was an amazing day for everyone who attended!

Fox Cities

Timber Rattler Game

DSAW Fox Cities had a wonderful night at the Timber Rattler game on Saturday, July 29th during the debut of the Timber Rattler alternate identity, The Shantymen. It was a beautiful night of warm weather and a slight breeze, sitting in seats along the third base line we had fantastic views of all the happenings on the field. While the "Shantymen" weren't able to pull out the win the fireworks after the game made the loss a little more bearable. 

La Crosse

Milwaukee Burger Co.

As a newer and growing DSAW chapter, we were excited to have seven families attend our Dine & Donate at Milwaukee Burger Co. event. Everyone had a good time enjoying delicious food and Board Members who were present attended the door handing out La Crosse July/August event Flyers. During the three hour event, $214 was raised! A big THANK YOU to everyone who came and we look forward to doing more together!

Looking Back on June

June was a busy and bustling month with summer events going on throughout each chapter and a new fundraiser DSAW was honored to be selected to receive proceeds from. Read on to find out more!

Run with Angels 5K Run/Walk sponsored by The Blind Horse Restaurant and Winery

The Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin-Sheboygan (DSAW) was honored to be the 2023 Race Beneficiary for the Seventh Annual Run with Angels 5K Run/Walk sponsored by The Blind Horse Restaurant and Winery. The event featured an elegant Five Course Wine & Food Pairing Dinner on Thursday, June 8 followed by the 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, June 10. A custom labeled bottle of wine, Blind Horse wine glass, t-shirt, and race swag bag were given out to participants. The event was a huge success and we’re grateful to the many hand that helped organize and make it happen!

Chippewa Valley Farm Tour

Since June was National Dairy Month, DSAW-Chippewa Valley decided to celebrate by attending a fun farm tour at Marieke Gouda in Thorp, WI! Families got to see a milking Parlor, cow spa barn, and cute calves. We also were able to watch how they delicately handcraft Marieke® Gouda and try some samples. After the tour, we relaxed by enjoying a nice ice cream cone!

Milwaukee Brewers Outing 2023

Summer is baseball season! DSAW filled up June with several baseball events including a 2023 Milwaukee Brewers Outing! Chapters throughout the state were invited to join and we had a big turn out with a lot of fun tailgating, playing games, and watching the baseball game together!

Looking Back on May

May was an exciting month as we got to kick off summer events and participate in a conference attended statewide! Read on to find out more!

Disability: IN Wisconsin Conference

DSAW’s President & CEO Dawn Nuoffer was one of seven guest speakers at the Disability: IN Wisconsin Conference on Thursday, May 18, 2023.

The goal of the conference is to have Peer-to-peer dialogue around employing neurodiverse individuals in an effort to change the perception of attendees to become receptive in looking at different pools of talent that may include individuals with neurodiverse abilities.

 

Southeastern Cino de Mayo Event

Thank you to our DSAW Cinco de Mayo bowlers and their families for coming out to Village Bowl in Menomonee Falls on Friday, May 5th. We all had an absolute blast!!

GiGiFIT's 1-mile walk/5k run/dash

It was awesome to see so many DSAW families at GiGiFIT's 1-mile walk/5k run/dash at Lake Park. We’re grateful to everyone who joined us for a beautiful day and helped make it a smashing success!

Looking Back on April

April was full of more successful events! Here’s some of the fun things DSAW staff and members were able to do!

Rad Rec Group

Our Rad Rec Group enjoyed a couple of fun events this month. Rad Rec events occur throughout the community at many of our local partnerships in Southeastern WI. This month a fun afternoon was spent at the Majestic in Brookfield to watch the movie, “Champions”, a movie with a great message and featuring individuals with Down syndrome. Another day was spent with peers practicing social and community skills at the Domes and then playing card games at the DSAW office.

Play Day at Monkey Joe’s

DSAW families and kids had a great time coming out to play at Monkey Joe's in Waukesha this month! Kids had fun exploring and playing on giant inflatable jump to slick slides, rockin’ arcades, and jungle playgrounds. There were plenty of smiles to go around!

Self- Advocates hard at work

We love our self-advocates, employments services, and the job coaches that support them! This duo is a team: Reini Ruiz (taller) and Nyan Krumree. They work at Neu Tools in New Berlin and are two amazing young men! They were recognized by DSAW’s Job coach Stephanie Gross in April.

DSAW-Sheboygan "Run With Angels" Event A Huge Success!

DSAW-Sheboygan was chosen to be the beneficiary of the Run with Angels Dinner and 5K. This yearly event is hosted by the Blind Horse in Kohler in memory of the General Manager's daughter who passed away in 2015. DSAW participants were able to honor an individual with Down syndrome or a loved one who they’ve lost. The walk/run in their honor allowed family members to be surrounded and supported by so many others who share in a similar journey.

The June 8, Thursday night dinner included both a voice and silent auction. Then on Saturday, June 10th the 5K run/walk was open to the community and provided a great space to showcase our organization. It was heartwarming to see the love and support that there is in our community for our mission!

Disability: IN Wisconsin Conference

Dawn Nuoffer, President/CEO of DSAW was one of seven presenters at the Disability: IN Wisconsin Conference on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at Engauge Workforce Solutions in Menomonee Falls, WI. The conference attendees included business leaders who were looking for information on hiring neurodiverse individuals for openings in their workforce.  The conference also featured business leaders who have expanded their talent base to include individuals with neurodiverse talent. 

Presenters Included:
Peter Rathmann, CEO of Allis Tool & Machine Corp
Emma Rathmann – Prolec GE – Waukesha Electric
Corryn Manderfield, HR – Wisconsin Metal Parts
Katie Malnight, Chief Operating Officer of Engauge Workforce Solutions
Anny Kerr, Production Recruiting Manager – Rockwell Automation
Dawn Nuoffer, CEO of Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin Goldhmong Vang, Director – MATC Uniquely Abled Academy

The goal of the conference was to have peer-to-peer dialogue around employing neurodiverse individuals. Attendees heard testimonials on the benefits and value of hiring people with neurodiversity’s.

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Syble Hopp student featured in Times Square for Down Syndrome Awareness Month

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Our friend Preston Taylor was featured on screens in Times Square on Sept 17, 2022, thanks to National Down Syndrome Society! The video presentation, featuring 500 self-advocates from across the country, and was live-streamed on their Facebook page at 8:30AM that same day. Our friend Norman from the Milwaukee area will be featured as well! To watch the whole story, follow the link:

Syble Hopp student featured in Times Square for Down Syndrome Awareness Month | WLUK (fox11online.com)

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Local teenager with Down Syndrome wins body building pro card!

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Our friend Fiona Daniels took home second place in two categories at her first national bodybuilding competition! Fiona is also the first teenager with Down syndrome in the country to earn a pro card in bodybuilding. Congratulations Fiona!! For the full story follow the link below:

Local teenager with Down Syndrome takes 2nd in national bodybuilding competition (news8000.com)

 

Looking Back on September 2022

Happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month! For now, we are looking back at a busy September! We hosted four of our eight Down Syndrome Awareness Walks last month and had a great time celebrating our Down syndrome community. Our fall programs began, and participants were busy with Skills Training Academy, Rad Rec Events, and more! Read on to learn all about it!

Down Syndrome Awareness Walks

This September, we had four of our Down Syndrome Awareness Walks in Central Wisconsin, Green Bay, Chippewa Valley, and the Statewide Down Syndrome Awareness Walk at the Milwaukee County Zoo! Each year, DSAW hosts eight Down Syndrome Awareness Walks across the state of Wisconsin, drawing more than 8,000 walkers, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and partners across the State under one collective mission – to raise awareness and promote inclusion, diversity, and acceptance of people with Down syndrome in our communities and in our lives. We are immensely proud of the success of our Walks this year — check out photos from the four September Walks below!

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Summit

Our President and CEO Dawn Nuoffer appeared at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation's Wisconsin Economic Summit to speak about Building a Robust Workforce. Dawn emphasized that many statistics demonstrate how incorporating more people with disabilities into the workforce benefits everyone!

Skills Training Academy

Our fall programs began at the start of September, and Skills Training Academy in Southeastern WI is happy to be back! Skills Training Academy participants are using the My Full Life curriculum platform to track and log their progress on skill-building in the following areas: Connections, Fun & Talents, Wellness, Getting Around, My Place, Community Engagement, Earning My Way, and Lifelong Learning.

Wellness 360

Wellness 360 also returned in Southeastern Wisconsin this September! This course works on Daily Living Skills while bringing a wide range of recreational activities to people of all abilities ages 18+. So far, Wellness 360 has visited a honey farm, play pickleball, made fresh apple pies, gone hiking, and more!

Small Groups

Our Respite Small Groups are having a great time this fall! In September, we went mini golfing and played billiards! One of our Friday groups also joined the Rad Rec Events group for a dance party!

Rad Rec Events

Participants in our Rad Rec Events series have been very busy — going bowling, watching DC League of Super-Pets at the theater, painting Kindness Rocks, attending Glow Night and competing in a rowing contest to raise money for adults with disabilities, apple picking at Apple Holler and dancing at Lifetime Fitness followed by lunch at the Olive Garden. Everyone is making friends and having fun in the community!

Looking Back on July 2022

We’re looking back at July! It’s been a busy month! We’ve hosted meet-up events, social events, and fundraising events across the state! Our EXTRAordinary Camps have been taking full advantage of the summer and celebrating Carnival Week and Shark Week, among other themes. We now have 10 small groups running every week in Southeastern WI! Read on for all the details!

Fox Cities Park Meet-Up

DSAW-Fox Cities had our 2nd summer park meet-up at the Sherwood Splash Pad this month! It was a bit cool for the kids at the splash pad, but everyone still had a great time. Our next meet-up is on August 20th at Erb Park!

South Central Small Group!

DSAW-South Central has started our first-ever in-person small group, and they are quite the musical talents! We are excited to continue the growth of our services in the greater Madison area. Email katieg@dsawfamilyservices.org if you are interested in more information on what’s coming to South Central WI!

South Central Golf Outing

DSAW-South Central also held an extremely successful Golf Outing this July at The Oaks Golf Course. Golfers had the chance to beat WKOW's senior chief meteorologist Bob Lindmeier on a hole to be entered into a prize drawing. You can read more about it at WKOW 27! It was a wonderful day of golfing in support of DSAW -- special thanks to all of our staff and volunteers that made it possible and to our attendees and sponsors for their support!

Southeastern WI Down Home BBQ

This July, we hosted our annual Down Home BBQ at DSAW HQ in West Allis. It was a great summer day filled with food, music, games, water fun, crafts, and more! We are so grateful to our volunteers that made the day run smoothly!

Southeastern WI Milwaukee Milkmen Game

This month, DSAW had a perfect day to be featured as the Milwaukee Milkmen non-profit of the game! We gathered at Franklin Field to watch the Milkmen take on the Sioux City Explorers, and our friend Nate threw out the first pitch and got it right over home plate!

EXTRAordinary Adventures Camp!

Our North Camp has been filled with lots of fun and learning! We’ve had field trips to the science museum, the beach, wetland reserve, and bowling! Participants have been making paper, lemon volcanoes, painting, swimming, and much more.

We had so much fun at MKE camp this month! Week one in July was Carnival Week where all participants got to play different carnival games, make their own snow cones, and got to be apart of an Improv performance with Bob Orvis. Week two for this month was Shark Week where they learned about all different kinds of sharks and summer safety, learned about big emotions, played pin the fin on the shark, and played shark volleyball. Week three was Games Galore where they learned about respect, decision-making skills, and got to play a lot of different games. The last week for this month is Water Week where they got to have a water day at DSAW, water gun painting, water balloon fight, sponge relay races, played duck duck splash, and so much more!

East Camp is having SO much fun playing games, celebrating Carnival Week & Shark Week, and our second field trip to the waterpark! We invited in some new friends this month to our camp and taught them all about teamwork and being a good sport!

Rad Rec Events

We have been having a blast in our Rad Rec events which included Improv with Bob Orvitz, a Chinooks baseball game, swimming at Muskego Park and at Ingleside indoor waterpark, hiking at Lapham peak, bowling and a dance party at Lifetime Fitness. Thank you to all who participated and to the staff who have helped with the fun!

Social Skills Group

Social Skills groups this month learned how friendships are like flowers and then visited the Milwaukee Domes, learned about respect and then played outdoor games at the office, learned about lifting up their friends while knocking down pins at the bowling alley, and learned about the importance of quality time while hanging out with their friends at the local park!

Small Groups

We now have 10 small groups up and running each week! Our small groups have been busy with art projects, playing pool, picnics in the park, bowling, mini golfing and more! Want to get involved with a small group? Contact info@dsaw.org for more info!

Looking Back on June 2022

We’re looking back at June! It was a busy month all across the state with the kick-off of our summer programming, several fundraiser events, and more fun! DSAW-South Central started their first-ever in-person program, while Fox Cities hosted their 2nd Annual Down for Golf Outing! EXTRAordinary Adventures Camp learned about space, music, and more this month and went out for a bowling trip. And so much more! Read on to learn more.

Green Bay Friendship Group

In Green Bay, the adult friendship group enjoyed a day in the sun and went Frisbee Disc Golfing! We will be hosting more of these friendship group events in Green Bay in the future! Please email abigail@dsaw.org for info or to sign up!

Sheboygan Music & Movement Spring Sessions

DSAW-Sheboygan is teaming up with Take Note Studio to provide free music and movement lessons for children with DS under 7! This program had its first few sessions this month and everyone is enjoying moving and grooving. The chapter will host an adult version of this program SOON! Please email abigail@dsaw.org with any interest.

DSAW-Fox Cities News

June was an exciting month for the Fox Cities! We kicked the month off by taking part in the Little Chute Cheesefest Parade! myTeam Triumph, an incredible nonprofit out of Howard, WI joined us with their race chairs to give participants a break from walking in the heat. We had such a blast!

The Fox Cities chapter closed out June with our 2nd Annual Down for Golf Outing! What an amazing turnout we had! Special thanks to the Vosters & Knackers families for hosting this wonderful event - we had an entire afternoon and evening of golf and fundraising. We haven’t finalized fundraising numbers yet, but we are hoping to beat last year's total by at least $5!

DSAW-Fox Cities Meet-Ups

Our first summer park meet-up was held on Saturday, June 18th at the Washington Park Splash Pad in Neenah! Families joined for a casual morning of fun and friendship. We hope to continue growing this event, with our next park meet-up scheduled on Saturday, July 16th at the Sherwood Park Splash Pad. Join us!

Our first Parent’s Night Out of summer (right) was held on Sunday, June 26th at Wilder's Bistro. Several parents celebrated an evening out while enjoying good conversation and food. Our next night out is scheduled for Sunday, July 31st at Cannova's Pizzeria in Neenah. Please RSVP to attend!

South Central Begins In-Person Programming!

No pictures yet, but we're off to a great start with our first ever in person class in South Central Wisconsin! Our Social Skills class is gathering every Thursday, and Katie, our Program Coordinator, says the class is “teaching me as much as I'm teaching them :)”. Are you in the greater Madison area? Join our new in-person programs!

Summer Rad Rec Events have been going well! We have done events such as mini golfing, yoga, visiting Mayfair Mall, and bowling. We have more awesome Rad Rec Events planned for July — find more info here!

MKE Social Skills groups participated in yoga and have went on two outings this month including Mini Golf! Social Skills and Rad Rec Events also collaborated on a trip to Retzer Nature Center!

Romine's and Shepherd's hosted a pool tournament in the Milwaukee area in memory of Dan Hau and to raise money for DSAW!! Thank you to the Powers family, Kevin Stanelle, and Dave Dahle for organizing this wonderful event that raised $5,000 for DSAW!

EXTRAordinary Adventures Camp

MKE EXTRAordinary Adventures Camp, DSAW’s 2022 summer camp, is still having lots of fun and making new friends!! Participants learned about all things space, music & movement, and sports this month! Each group went on their first outing which was bowling and had an awesome time.

EXTRAordinary Adventures Camp East is making new friends and learning about space and music! The first field trip to the JCC waterpark was very successful for a 90-degree day! SO many smiles (& hugs)

Dinner and a Movie

At Dinner and a Movie, participants enjoyed a delicious meal together and watched Hook. This is a FREE event offered in Southeastern WI the last Wednesday of every month! Find out more about July’s Dinner and a Movie here!

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A Message from DSAW's President/CEO

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Good afternoon,

I am writing today to share some exciting news. Governor Tony Evers announced yesterday that DSAW was awarded a Workforce Innovation Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. 

The Workforce Innovation Grant Program is a part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds are intended to address pressing workforce development challenges related to the negative economic impacts of COVID-19.

Only 19% of people with disabilities are employed (USDL, 2022), and the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted their quality of life. But the good news is plentiful. The GDP could be boosted up to $25 billion dollars if just 1% more people with disabilities joined the labor force (Accenture, 2018). In addition, employers who hire people with disabilities consistently tout benefits like improved profitability and competitive advantage. 

With this grant, DSAW will work within a 350+ partner network to launch Think Ability Wisconsin (TAW), which will address workforce issues for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (PWIDD) in counties across our state. 

The project will include: 

  • The development of the Think Ability Wisconsin online transition resource center reaching families well before middle school

  • The creation and expansion of digital learning platforms to teach job skills

  • The expansion of employer-embedded, on-the-job training and placement programs in manufacturing, hospitality, and other accessible industries

  • The expansion of workforce development and wraparound services in underserved regions across WI

  • The formation of partnerships and coalitions across the state to address barriers that keep PWIDD unemployed and in poverty

  • Targeted awareness campaigns to change perceptions of people with IDD in the workforce

  • Employer education to increase job access and expectations

We believe that this whole-person, whole-society approach to Wisconsin’s workforce issues is exactly what’s needed to forever impact and expand opportunities for all of Wisconsin’s employers and people with IDD.

We are so excited, so humbled, and so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to help elevate the employment landscape for people with disabilities in our state. Our leadership team is working to roll out plans for implementation. In the meantime, we are thrilled to share this news and celebrate with you! 

Click here to read the official press release from the office of Governor Tony Evers.

Warmly,

 
 

Dawn Nuoffer
President/CEO
Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin

Looking Back on May 2022

We’re looking back at May! We have so many fun programs and events planned for the summer, but here’s a recap of what was going on this month. Wellness 360 and Skills Training Academy wrapped up their spring sessions in Southeastern WI, small groups celebrated the beginning of summer, and our clients accomplished more wonderful milestones! Read on to learn more!

DSAW Enrichment Grant

Our Enrichment Grant Program provided a grant for this DSAW family to build a fence to safely play outside this summer! The Enrichment Grant Program provides financial support to help offset the cost of items or services that can benefit the quality of life and development of a person with Down syndrome. Grants should be specific to individuals with Down syndrome -- examples include therapies, educational events, adaptive technology, and educational programs. Find more information and apply for an Enrichment Grant here.

Client Spotlight

We want to celebrate some awesome accomplishments from two of our DSAW clients during the month of May. Brittany invites us to celebrate with her client Griffin, as he graduated high school this month! Also, Becki brought a group to see Katya star in East Side Story at Waukesha Civic Theatre with the ACAP PlayMakers.

Skills Training Academy

STA participants have been having fun all month long learning about each other’s Fun & Talents! Some activities have been making a tornado in a jar, making moon sand, glue art, music bingo, sports day, making frozen blueberry yogurt bark, fashion design, games, making bracelets, drawing, and dancing! Skills Training Academy is a hands-on program occurring 2 days per week at DSAW HQ with small group daily living skills, computer/media development, fun activities, games, and so much more!

Wellness 360

May was our last month of this session of Wellness 360, and we learned about how to continue healthy lifestyles after Wellness 360 ends! We also partnered up with Nicolet High School for a big game day of kickball, red light green light, and showed great teamwork to get the tire up the hill to watch it roll down! Wellness 360 is our new unique mind and body group fitness class in Southeastern WI. It offers participants the opportunity to participate in workouts and learn all about whole person wellness and how to incorporate it into their lives!

Saturday Fun Days!

In May, our Saturday Fun Days brought us together in Southeastern WI and Fox Cities to celebrate the arrival of summer! In Southeastern WI, we held our Saturday Fun Day at The Springs Waterpark at The Ingleside Hotel for a day of swimming and slides. In Fox Cities, we had a summer celebration with crafts and treats!

Small Groups

DSAW Small Groups across the state had a busy May! One of our small groups went mini golfing and painted gifts for their moms at Vibez Art Studio in Greendale. Another group in Fox Cities celebrated “April Showers Bringing May Flowers” with spring-themed crafts. Another one of our groups volunteered three times at an elementary school in Wauwatosa!

Summer Programs Registration

Summer programs registration is now open! This year, we are offering DSAW Connects virtual classes for the entire state of Wisconsin and in-person programming in Southeastern WI, Fox Cities, and South Central WI. Summer programming at DSAW runs June 13th through August 26th unless otherwise noted.

Looking Back on April 2022

We’re looking back on April! As the weather warms up, we are preparing for summer programs — registration is open now! This month, we hosted a great Down Syndrome Summit with National Down Syndrome Congress and UW-Stevens Point, learned about teamwork in Social Skills Group, and practiced our Culver’s orders in the Fox Cities. Read on to learn all about it!

NDSC Down Syndrome Summit

We had a fantastic Down Syndrome Summit with National Down Syndrome Congress and UW-Stevens Point on Saturday, April 23rd! We are so grateful to all of the AMAZING members of the DSAW community and the broader disability community in Wisconsin who attended and made this program a big success.

Thank you to all of our wonderful speakers for sharing their resources and knowledge with us: Susanna Miller-Raines from Think College, Paige Parr from Project SEARCH, and Chris Newlon and Tamara Pursley from National Down Syndrome Congress.
Thank you to the parents and community members who make up the DSAW-Central WI Advisory Board for their influence and effort in planning this event and for their commitment to community education.
Thank you to National Down Syndrome Congress and their Rural Outreach Program for making this day happen and providing resources for all attendees.
Thank you to UW-Stevens Point for collaborating with DSAW and NDSC and donating space for our event.

Culver’s Outing

In the Fox Cities, our staff organized a group outing in which participants enjoyed a meal at Culver's! Participants pre-planned their meals and practiced ordering and paying.

Participants proudly followed the steps, and after they ate, self advocate JP typed on his talker without anyone noticing and walked up to a Culver's employee. JP was trying to show him his iPad screen. The DSAW group asked him to come sit back down and, when returning to the table, asked what he was trying to show the employee. JP showed the screen of his talker, and he had typed, “John Paul Job.” He was pointing at the table, as to say, “here”. “I want a job here” 💙💛

Social Skills Group

DSAW’s Social Skills Group is a hands-on program occurring 1 day per week at DSAW HQ in Southeastern WI with small group daily living skills, fun activities, games, and so much more! In April, Social Skills Group learned about teamwork and wrote some positive words to spread kindness around DSAW!

Skills Training Academy

Skills Training Academy is a hands-on program occurring 2 days per week at DSAW HQ with small group daily living skills, computer/media development, fun activities, games, and so much more! This month, STA participants have been learning about how to make conversations with peers, understanding body language and facial expressions by playing a telephone game, having 1:1 conversations, and participating in a Lego communication challenge activity. STA participants also made some spring flowers to help brighten up the office!

Wellness 360

Wellness 360 is our new unique mind and body group fitness class in Southeastern WI. It offers participants the opportunity to participate in workouts and learn all about whole person wellness and how to incorporate it into their lives!

Saturday Fun Days!

Children's Saturday Fun Day had fun enjoying the outside weather playing kickball, basketball tic-tac-toe, and drawing with chalk. They also played group games, did a spring craft, and sang some karaoke! Adult’s Saturday Fun Day got to visit the Milwaukee County Zoo!

Creative Corner

Creative Corner is a FREE virtual art class that will use everyday objects around the house in different craft projects. This month, Creative Corner made some crafty Easter bunnies!

Summer Programs Registration

Summer programs registration is now open! This year, we are offering DSAW Connects virtual classes for the entire state of Wisconsin and in-person programming in Southeastern WI, Fox Cities, and South Central WI. Summer programming at DSAW runs June 13th through August 26th unless otherwise noted.

Looking Back on March 2022

We’re looking back on March! Can you believe it’s already April?! We started spring with even more fun classes, events, and gatherings all over Wisconsin! DSAW chapters around the state celebrated the Best Day Ever — World Down Syndrome Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and a lot of other awesome outings and classes!

World Down Syndrome Day

This month, we got to unite with the Down syndrome community around the world for World Down Syndrome Day! Since people with Down syndrome have 3 copies of the 21st chromosome, 3/21 is set aside as a global day to raise awareness, acceptance, and access. DSAW’s WDSD theme celebrated the Best Day Ever and all of the things that make our community the Best Ever — from meaningful jobs to fun-loving friendships to amazing dreams.

DSAW-Chippewa Valley celebrated with a full day of fun at Action City Trampoline Park and Chaos Water Park! Over 200 people celebrated with us!

DSAW-La Crosse threw an awesome WDSD party at Myrick Park!

DSAW-Central WI teamed up with our local GiGi’s Playhouse for a WDSD celebration at Rainbow Play Systems!

In Northeast WI, we planted flowers to see how they will grow for 21 days!

Super Saturday

Our Super Saturdays continued with a bowling party in March! Super Saturday is a monthly outing for self-advocates 18+ in Southeastern Wisconsin. This month, we put on our bowling shoes and visited Alpine Lanes in Muskego. Look out for more info on April’s Super Saturday coming soon!

Skills Training Academy

DSAW’s Skills Training Academy is a hands-on program occurring two days a week at DSAW HQ! This program focuses on daily living skills, computer/media skills, activities, games, and much more! One of our recent Skills Training Academy topics was connections and friendships. Participants learned and demonstrated how to be a good friend, and everyone took the 5-Finger Friendship Challenge!

St. Patrick’s Day

We had the luck of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day this year! One of our online courses completed a shamrock craft for the holiday, one of our small groups celebrated with lunch and dancing, and Fox Cities Saturday Fun Day had a scavenger hunt for treasure and played bingo!

Wellness 360

Wellness 360 is our new unique mind and body group fitness class in Southeastern WI. It offers participants the opportunity to participate in workouts and learn all about whole person wellness and how to incorporate it into their lives! This month, Nicolet joined Wellness 360 for some cardio drumming!

Cookies & Canvases

DSAW-Fox Cities hosted a Cookies and Canvases activity in March! Everyone created a beautiful piece of art on their canvas and enjoyed some cookies while they did it!

Dinner & a Movie

DSAW-Southeastern WI now hosts a monthly Dinner & a Movie at DSAW HQ! Join us on the fourth Wednesday of the month for this fun night out for adults 18+ with Down syndrome. April’s event is on the 27th!

Looking Back on February 2022

We’re looking back on February! It may be the shortest month, but we packed it full of fun, learning, and friends. DSAW celebrated Valentine’s Day, we were represented at a national conference, and more! Read on for all the details!

Happy Valentine’s Day

In February, we celebrated Valentine’s Day! We had our Virtual Valentine’s Day Party, where attendees created V-Day wreaths and played bingo. Small groups and one-on-one’s celebrated with heart-shaped cinnamon rolls, heart-shaped pizzas, love monsters, and other festivities!

DSAW at DSAIA’s Leadership Conference

Mary West, DSAW's Senior Program Manager, SE WI, attended Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action’s 2022 Annual Leadership Conference in Las Vegas! Mary connected with other Down syndrome organizations across the country and presented on DSAW's aging services in a session titled "Supporting Aging Adults with Down Syndrome and their Families in Your Community." She says, "It was incredible to learn what all the other states are doing & to bring ideas back to Wisconsin :)" Congratulations Mary and thank you for representing DSAW!

Never Stop Learning!

We learned a lot this month! Our Social Skills Group learned about physical wellness with friends, and we had some American Sign Language lessons at the DSAW office! Brittany celebrated President’s Day with her client by learning about presidential history.

DSAW Futures Planning

Our My Full Life™ pilot program continues as a part of DSAW’s new Futures Planning program! As part of the My Full Life™ curriculum this month, self-advocates learned about and built their own first aid kits. Read more about DSAW’s Futures Planning work here!

Awesome Outings

Across the state, February was a month for bowling, sledding, and more fun! Our small groups visited the bowling alley and Monkey Joe’s play center (and celebrated with donuts afterward). DSAW-South Central got in on the bowling fun with a family outing in Janesville. In La Crosse and Central WI, we hosted family sledding parties! Southeastern WI rented out a theatre to watch the 2018 animated movie Smallfoot for this month’s Super Saturday.

Hairspray the Musical!

Our newest chapter is DSAW-South Central WI! Formerly the Madison Area Down Syndrome Society, this new chapter covers Sauk, Columbia, Iowa, Dane, Jefferson, Lafayette, Green, and Rock Counties! In Feburary, DSAW-SC offered free tickets to self-advocates to see the musical Hairspray at the Overture Center for the Arts!

DSAW-Central WI’s Sledding Party

DSAW-Central WI had a great time at our sledding party at Iverson Park! We enjoyed the beautiful winter day and celebrated Emma's 9th birthday! A special thank you to the UWSP students who volunteered!

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Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin
Telephone: 414-327-3729
Fax: 414-327-1329
Email: info@dsaw.org

 

Headquarters Address
11709 W Cleveland Ave, Suite 2
West Allis, WI 53227

Headquarters Office Hours:
The DSAW office is open most days for programs and classes. DSAW staff is currently working in a mixture of in-person and remote work, so please call or email to set up an appointment before stopping by!

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