E-News

Creative Kids Contest is Feb. 28

PACER's fourth annual Creative Kids Contest invites children with disabilities to join PACER and celebrated artist Anthony Whelihan to let their imagination run wild. The winner will have his or her design made into the 2009 PACER greeting card, which will be sold online and at the PACER Benefit. The event is 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Bloomington Art Center. To register or to donate art supplies, e-mail Kelly Lorenz at kelly.lorenz@PACER.org or call 952-838-9000. Space is limited.

More...

Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons to Headline PACER's 2009 Benefit! Tickets on Sale Now!

Hear Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, the inspiration for the smash hit Broadway show “Jersey Boys,” at PACER Center’s 27th Annual Benefit on Saturday, May 2, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. With smash hits like “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” the group has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Don’t miss this American pop icon! Reserve your tickets now!

More...

National Early Childhood Conference is March 22 – 25

“Addressing Challenging Behavior” offers intensive workshops, practical strategies, and real solutions that speak to behavior challenges in early childhood settings. This National Training Institute on Effective Practices event is for early childhood teachers, trainers, child-care providers, Head Start and Early Head Start staff, administrators, parents, and early intervention and behavior specialists. Participants will have many opportunities to practice new strategies, interact with experts, and discuss ideas with colleagues. The conference is March 22 – 25 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, Clearwater Beach, Fla. It is sponsored by the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning, and PACER is a partner organization. Questions? Visit addressingchallengingbehavior.org or send an e-mail to nti@dec-sped.org.

Census Bureau Releases Latest Americans with Disabilities Report

The Census Bureau report “Americans with Disabilities: 2005” provides estimates of the socioeconomic characteristics of people with disabilities. Highlights include the following: Of the 291.1 million people in the population in 2005, 54.4 million (18.7 percent) had some level of disability and 35 million (12 percent) had a severe disability; of the population aged 21 to 64, 28.1 million people (16.5 percent) had a disability, and 45.6 percent of this group was employed. The employment rate was 30.7 percent for people with a severe disability, compared with rates of 75.2 percent for people with a non-severe disability and 83.5 percent for people with no disability. The report is available at census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p70-117.pdf.

Web Site Offers Leadership Training for Parents

A new leadership training curriculum helps empower parents of children with disabilities to advocate for change in their communities. The Parents as Collaborative Leaders curriculum, a project of the University of Vermont and PACER, is now available as 10 PowerPoint modules on the Parents as Collaborative Leaders Web site at uvm.edu/~pcl/modules.php and on PACER’s site at PACER.org.

More...

“Opening Doors” Conference Presentations Now Available Online

Presentations from the “Opening Doors: A State of Science Conference” held last November are now available online. The two-day conference focused on the application of research to practice in three areas: transition to adulthood, access to community recreation, and screening and early identification. PACER Center staff collaborated with the Institute for Community Inclusion, Children’s Hospital Boston, and University of Massachusetts Boston to plan the event. Conference materials are available in PowerPoint, PDF, or text-only Word formats at http://openingdoorsforyouth.org/sos.

Schedule a Puppet Show for Your School or Organization

PACER’s COUNT ME IN® disability awareness puppet presentation is an engaging and child-friendly way to educate children in grades K – 4 about disabilities and inclusion. Presented in the Twin Cities metro area by trained volunteers, the show lasts 45 to 60 minutes. For more information on how to bring the COUNT ME IN® message to your school or organization, visit PACER.org/puppets, call Jen Leuma at 952-838-9000, or e-mail puppets@PACER.org.

More...

Come to a PACER Workshop

PACER offers more than 100 free workshops statewide to Minnesota parents and professionals each year. These sessions cover such topics as Individualized Education Programs, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, early childhood, transition, housing, assistive technology, and more. Find out what’s coming to your area!

More...

Join IBM's World Community Grid

The World Community Grid is an IBM effort to link computers worldwide and put idle computer time to use in aiding projects that benefit humanity. The grid is built upon an IBM infrastructure and includes IBM support. To become part of the grid, members install a small, free software program on their computers. When their computers are on but not being used, the program connects to the World Community Grid’s server, performs computations, and sends the results back to the server. Members’ donated resources help increase the pace of research. Visit worldcommunitygrid.org, click “find a team,” and select “PACER Center.” Join the team! It’s safe and easy.

Additional Features