PACER Center
952-838-9000
Champions for Children with Disabilities
In the event of inclement weather, PACER Center may cancel workshops. If you are registered for a workshop, we will contact you about cancellations. Also, please check this site the day of the workshop for a possible cancellation due to weather problems.
Select workshops may include:
Workshops with this notice means that this workshop offers an off-site attendance option: a video-streaming service will broadcast the workshop live over the Internet so people who can’t attend the workshop in person can view the presentation live on their computer or tablet. The link to the Livestream channel is in the workshop confirmation you receive after you register. All events are free. You do not need a Livestream account to view our live and recorded events. You can sign up for a free account if you would like to receive notifications when we go live or when we post new events.
Links to the handouts will be posted on the event page. Certificates of attendance are available for attending the live event stream and can be accessed by completing a workshop evaluation after the event.
Filters:
Filter Workshops by Online Streaming Available APPY Hour Life Planning for People with Disabilities Special Events Tech for Girls Club Tech for Teens Club View Archived Live Stream EventsApril 2018
-
Planning for Educational Inclusion: A Viewing of 'Including Samuel'
Date: Thursday, April 26, 2018 — 6:30 PM - 8:30 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressPlease join us for a screening of 'Including Samuel', a documentary by filmmaker Dan Habib about educational inclusion. He documented his family’s efforts to include their son Samuel in all facets of their lives, a journey that transforms each of them. Q & A with a PACER advocate will occur before and after the film. -
Working with Culturally or Linguistically Diverse Families in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE)
Date: Friday, April 27, 2018 — 9:00 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressCultural liaisons and foreign language interpreters will build their capacity in order to enhance communication and families’ understanding at IFSP and IEP meetings for children ages birth to five.Working with Culturally or Linguistically Diverse Families in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) - live stream event page Working with Culturally or Linguistically Diverse Families in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) - Register for this workshop -
Special Events : Depression and School Planning: The importance of an accurate diagnosis
Date: Monday, April 30, 2018 — 6:30 PM - 8:30 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressIf negative thoughts and feelings persist and start to limit a child’s ability to function normally, it could be depression. In school, depression can impact successful academic, social, and emotional growth. Dr. Barry Garfinkel, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, will discuss the different types of depression, the risk factors associated with depression, and how to effectively use counseling and medication for support. Renelle Nelson, coordinator of PACER’s Children’s Mental Health and Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Project, will offer information and tips to assist the child who is depressed in school and help promote successful outcomes. Special Education, 504 plans, and other educational supports will be discussed.
May 2018
-
Tech for Teens Club : Intro to Coding and Video Games
Date: Saturday, May 05, 2018 — 10:00 AM - 12:00 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressThis two-hour hands-on workshop will introduce teens (boys and girls) with disabilities to the fundamentals of coding through the use of MIT's Scratch online software. Teens will create interactive games and stories while developing basic programming skills. This workshop is designed for students with basic computer skills, but no previous coding knowledge is required. Students of all abilities are encouraged to attend. Visit the Tech for Teens Club webpage for additional summer sessions. -
Becoming an Active Partner in Your Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
Date: Monday, May 07, 2018 — 6:30 PM - 8:30 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressThis workshop, for parents of children birth to age 3 with developmental delays or disabilities, describes early intervention services, the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), how families can be involved in writing child and family outcomes and become active participants in the IFSP process.This workshop has been canceled. -
Mental Health and Transition-age Youth: Preparing for the Future
Date: Monday, May 07, 2018 — 12:00 PM - 1:30 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressThis presentation for workforce development professionals will highlight strategies that can be used to work effectively with transition-age youth (age 14-24) with mental health challenges. Renelle Nelson and Jennifer Thomas, from PACER’s Inspiring Opportunities, Children’s Mental Health and Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Project, will discuss how to identify youth transition needs and help youth progress towards their personal employment, post-secondary education, and community living goals. -
Life Planning for People with Disabilities : Guardianship
Date: Tuesday, May 08, 2018 — 6:30 PM - 8:30 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressIn this first session, participants will learn about guardianship-conservatorship laws and other life planning issues. Plan to attend both the 5/8 and 5/22 sessions as they cover different information. Visit Life Planning for People with Disabilities for more information. -
Employment-focused Transition Planning
Date: Thursday, May 10, 2018 — 5:00 PM - 7:00 PMLocation: Alexandria - Map and AddressLearn about career planning options for in-school and out-of-school youth with disabilities and where you can find help launching your youth on their path to employment. This workshop will highlight what families can do to build employment skills at home, how to begin a career path in high school, Vocational Rehabilitation Services for youth with disabilities, new MN WorkForce Center Career Pathway programs available to youth with disabilities ages 16 to 24. -
Special Education and the Important Role You Play for Your Child
Date: Thursday, May 17, 2018 — 6:30 PM - 8:30 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressParents play an important role in the special education process. Participants in this workshop will learn how parents can use their rights and abilities to advocate for their child and work effectively with the school. This workshop will also provide valuable information for surrogate parents, foster parents, and the professionals who work with them on behalf of children. -
Tech for Girls Club : Digging for Dinosaurs
Date: Saturday, May 19, 2018 — 10:00 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressJoin us to see what it’s like to be a paleontologist! Middle school girls with disabilities will go on their own dinosaur dig to uncover fossils and put them together to create a complete dinosaur skeleton. Participants will learn about dinosaurs and the science behind paleontology. Visit the Tech for Girls Club webpage for additional summer sessions. -
Life Planning for People with Disabilities : Special & Supplemental Needs Trusts
Date: Tuesday, May 22, 2018 — 6:30 PM - 8:30 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressThis workshop will focus on power of attorney, health care directive, special & supplemental needs trusts, and the ABLE Act. Each session (5/8 and 5/22) covers different information. Visit Life Planning for People with Disabilities for more information.
June 2018
-
Tech for Girls Club : Lego Robotics
Date: Saturday, June 02, 2018 — 10:00 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressBuilding with Lego is a lot of fun, but have you ever tried to make a motorized machine using the colorful blocks? Don’t miss this exciting hands-on workshop for middle school girls with disabilities focusing on building techniques, basic programming, and simple machines using Lego. Led by the Green Girls, a team of middle school students from Eagan Robotics, this workshop will give participants the opportunity to design and build something cool that moves on its own. -
APPY Hour : Apps for Independent Living – Managing Money, Budgets, and Shopping
Date: Tuesday, June 05, 2018 — 1:00 PM - 2:00 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressThis “APPy Hour” will be a fast-paced overview of mobile apps that can help youth with disabilities live on their own. The focus will be on the essential independent living skills of creating a budget, managing money, and shopping for groceries. A variety of apps will be discussed for both smart phone and tablet devices (including Apple’s iOS and Android). The presentation will include demonstrations of as many apps as time allows. Apps will include money calculators, tracking of money spent, managing a budget, and creating a shopping list. -
Tech for Teens Club : Programming Robots
Date: Saturday, June 09, 2018 — 10:00 AM - 12:00 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressIn this workshop, teens with disabilities will learn some of the fundamentals of robotics by programming a Finch robot to interact and respond to its environment. Students will use Snap!, an online tool, to program a Finch robot’s lights, movement and reaction to obstacles. This workshop is designed for students with basic computer skills, but no previous coding knowledge is required. Students of all abilities are encouraged to attend. -
Tech for Teens Club : Building Websites
Date: Saturday, June 23, 2018 — 10:00 AM - 12:00 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressThis workshop will introduce teens with disabilities to the basics of coding for the internet with HTML and CSS. Students will create their own unique website and publish it on the Internet using Mozilla Thimble. Students will be able to experiment with code and see the results online in real time. This workshop is designed for students with basic computer skills, but no previous coding knowledge is required. Students of all abilities are encouraged to attend.
July 2018
-
Tech for Teens Club : A Star Wars 3D Printed Universe
Date: Saturday, July 14, 2018 — 10:00 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressA guest speaker from a galaxy far far away will present the basics behind 3D printing. Teens with disabilities are invited to watch a 3D print from start to finish and to experiment with the 3D design software called SketchUp. Students of all abilities are encouraged to attend. Curiosity is the only requirement. -
Tech for Girls Club : Creatures of the Ocean
Date: Saturday, July 14, 2018 — 10:00 AM - 11:30 AMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressRoll up your sleeves and get your hands wet while learning about the ocean! Middle school girls with disabilities will learn about the differences between fresh water and salt water, ocean zones, and what creatures can be found in each zone. They will take a virtual field trip to explore the ocean and make their own ocean in a bottle.
August 2018
-
Tech for Teens Club : Building a Robot
Date: Saturday, August 18, 2018 — 10:00 AM - 12:00 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressIn this workshop, teens with disabilities will assemble a robot and program it to respond to the environment. Students will learn about the entire process of building a robot, from assembly to executing code. This workshop is designed for students with basic computer skills but no previous coding knowledge is required. Students of all abilities are encouraged to attend. -
Incorporating Home Living Skills Into Daily Life for Your Middle School Youth
Date: Monday, August 20, 2018 — 7:00 PM - 9:00 PMLocation: PACER Center - Map and AddressCome and have fun exploring the necessary skills, tools, and technology to work with your son or daughter at home, and at school, using the Individualized Education Program.