GiGi's Playhouse San Diego

Community ServicesOwner Verified

About

Inside the Christ Lutheran Church campus at 4761 Cass St in San Diego, CA 92109, GiGi's Playhouse San Diego operates as a free Down syndrome achievement center offering therapeutic, educational, and career development programs to individuals of all ages. The San Diego location is part of a national network of more than 61 Playhouse sites across the United States and Mexico—the only network of its kind dedicated exclusively to Down syndrome support. Every program is provided at no cost to families, funded entirely through donations and community fundraising events like the annual Donut Run at Crown Point on Mission Bay. The center shares its Cass Street home with Christ Lutheran Church, accessible through the church's parking lot. Programming includes one-on-one speech and language therapy, literacy tutoring, fitness classes held at Tap Fever Studios in Pacific Beach, cooking classes through the GiGi Kitchen, and Destination Discovery sessions that build fine motor, gross motor, and social skills through purposeful play. Adults 18 and older can enroll in GiGi University, a 15-week, three-day-per-week program covering job interviewing, money management, public speaking, computer skills, and customer service. Career internship tracks build on GiGi U coursework with real-world certifications and resume development for community job placement. Board president Kelci Wilner and site staff coordinate volunteer-driven operations Tuesday through Saturday. Families exploring additional community resources in the neighborhood can visit the Pacific Beach Taylor Branch Library for children's programming and reading groups.