E-News

The Perfect Gift: Donate to PACER in Honor of Others

When you donate to PACER Center in honor of someone else, you will receive an attractive card insert acknowledging your generous gift. Tuck it into your holiday or special-occasion cards, and the recipient will have the satisfaction of knowing that a thoughtful gift has been given in his or her name. Great for employee or client holiday gifts, hostess gifts, group gift exchanges, or a wonderful addition to your holiday cards sent to friends and family. Price is $10 per card insert; $5 per insert for 100+. Orders of 100 or more can be customized to include your company’s name. Funds raised from this meaningful gift option will go directly to programs that help children with disabilities and their families.

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High Expectations, Endless Possibilities: OSEP National Parent Center Conference is Jan. 28 - 30

The OSEP National Parent Center Conference will bring together Parent Center leaders and colleagues to learn about current topics and reflect on their work, united by the common goal of improving outcomes for children with disabilities. The conference will provide practical and relevant information throughout sessions; useful strategies to implement in Parent Centers; opportunities for networking with peers; scientifically based information on emerging issues and content areas. It’s Jan. 28 – 30 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Crystal City, Va. Register now!

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PACER Introduces State-of-the-Art Special Education Advisory Council Resources

Special education advisory councils (SEACs) ensure that parents have opportunities to be involved and provide input into their district’s special education program. “SEAC Strategies for Success: An Online Guide for Minnesota Local Special Education Advisory Councils” is an innovative resource that includes 12 self-paced training modules intended to facilitate action on the part of the local SEAC. Each module includes information, discussion questions, and an action-planning tool. Among the topics covered:

• Recruiting and Retaining Members
• Determining the SEAC’s Mission
• Strategies for Providing Information in the School District
• Operational Guidelines (Bylaws)
• Prioritizing Needs and Setting Goals

The Online Guide is just one of many free resources you can explore on the new, interactive, one-stop site for SEACs in Minnesota: mnseacinfo.org.

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Webinar Addresses Ways to Serve Diverse Families of Young Children with Disabilities

PACER’s free, online training, “Serving Diverse Families: Strategies for Early Childhood Service Providers,” is now available as an archived Webinar on PACER’s Web site. Geared for early childhood intervention or early childhood special education professionals who work with parents from a culture different from their own, the comprehensive training shows how to help the family determine family-directed outcomes based on their concerns, needs, and priorities. It also includes “Practical Tips for Successful Interactions,” a panel presentation and Q&A by PACER's multicultural parent advocates.

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Free Multicultural Parent Outreach Publications Available to School Districts, Community Organizations, and Agencies

PACER Center has published a series of free brochures for outreach to families from diverse cultures who may have concerns about their child’s development. The materials are in Hmong, Spanish, Somali, and Russian. English versions are directed to American Indian and African American parents and also accompany each order of translated materials. The eye-catching brochures feature culture-specific photographs and family-friendly language. There is space to affix a label providing local contact information on the back page of the brochure. Funding for the project is provided by the Minnesota Department of Education through the federal State Personnel Development Grant. For more information about ordering hard copies, please contact Barb Ziemke at bziemke@PACER.org or at 952-838-9000.

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IBM ¡TradúceloAhora! Automatic Spanish Translation Program Available

PACER Center announces a new partnership with IBM to bring the IBM ¡TradúceloAhora! automatic Spanish translation program to parents and professionals. This Web-based software allows users to translate Web sites from English to Spanish and performs bidirectional English-Spanish e-mail translation. A PowerPoint presentation is available with information on how to register and use the program.

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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 www.worldcommunitygrid.org, click “find a team,” and select “PACER Center.” Join the team! It’s safe and easy.

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