Features
Raise A Glass — A Toast to PACER
November 12, 2019 | ABLE Brewing
Join us for an evening of Able beer, Neapolitan pizza from The Brick Oven Bus, games, and prize drawings as you support the work that PACER does for children and young adults with disabilities and their families.
This year, all proceeds from Raise a Glass will benefit PACER’s Children’s Mental Health and Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Project which brings together youth, parents, caregivers, educators, and professionals to help children with mental health and emotional or behavioral disorders receive the resources they need to live healthy lives.
Your Comprehensive, Online Guide to the IEP
We’ve converted PACER’s popular book, A Guide to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) for Minnesota Parents, into an intuitive, mobile-friendly web version. With the right information, parents can play a major role in shaping services for their child with disabilities. This online resource provides Minnesota parents with a complete breakdown of the IEP, the processes behind it, and how to use the IEP to help every child reach their full potential.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month
Get involved in this month long campaign, initiated by PACER in 2006, uniting a nation to take action at the local level to prevent bullying -and promote kindness, acceptance and inclusion- in schools, communities and online.
- Visit the National Bullying Prevention Center section to learn more about what you can do
- Plan for Unity Day; Wed., Oct. 23, 2019
- Order the Unity Day poster, available in English and Spanish
- Register your school or organization as a Champion Against Bullying
- Color our virtual world with a collection of downloadable promotional images
College Options for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Explore helpful information from PACER Center and Think College about inclusive, postsecondary education programs for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Does My Child Have an Emotional or Behavioral Disorder?
What to Look for: Among all the dilemmas facing a parent of a child with emotional or behavioral problems, the first question-whether the child's behavior is sufficiently different to require a comprehensive evaluation by professionals-may be the most troublesome of all. Even when a child exhibits negative behaviors, members of a family may not all agree on whether the behaviors are serious.
Categories / Programs
Workshops / Live Stream Events
24
Special Education: What Do I Need to Know?
Thursday, October 24, 2019 from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM CST
Location: St Paul
28
How to Manage Social Security Benefits for Your Youth
Monday, October 28, 2019 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CST
Location: PACER Center
28
Working with Vocational Rehabilitation for Youth on Supplemental Security Income
Monday, October 28, 2019 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CST
Location: PACER Center
30
Apple’s New Accessibility Features
Wednesday, October 30, 2019 from 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM CST
Location: PACER Center
2
Special Events : Inspiring Possibilities: Living, Learning, and Working After High School
Saturday, November 2, 2019 from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM CST
Location: PACER Center
5
Hot Tips on the Individualized Education Program (IEP): Is Your Child’s IEP Individualized and Appropriate?
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM CST
Location: PACER Center
Help Support PACER & Others
Facebook Buy & Sell Group - MN Special Needs Equipment for Sale
Find equipment and assistive technology after its initial use. Items such as, communication devices, walkers, adaptive switches and toys, motorized cars (that can be adapted), adapted keyboards, etc. Join Today!
Join Survey Monkey Contribute today!
PACER is excited to announce our partnership with SurveyMonkey Contribute and a new way for anyone to support PACER programs! Sign up and you will receive surveys by e-mail from SurveyMonkey customers who need your opinion. For every survey you take, SurveyMonkey will donate $0.50 to PACER, and you'll get a chance to win $100 in an instant-win game.
In The News
So Your Kid Bullied Someone. Now What?
Posted: 8/23/2019
No parent likes to think their child could exhibit bullying behaviors toward a peer. Unfortunately, social pressures and the desire to be noticed and admired can lead some children to act in ways that are out of character and could have harmful consequences.
The important thing for parents who are dealing with a child who has displayed bullying behavior to remember is that they have the power to take action and try to stop the behavior from being repeated.
Bailey Huston, the coordinator of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center spoke with the Huffington Post for the article titled, So Your Kid Bullied Someone. Now What?, about practical steps that parents can take to talk about the seriousness of bullying with their child and help them understand that behavior is unacceptable.
With empathy and patience, parents can help their child develop an action plan and set consequences that encourage them to act with kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Huston explains that even when working toward these goals, it’s important to accept that there might be setbacks as your child modifies their behavior and learns new ways to handle feelings and conflicts. Addressing these matters with patience, love, and support is the best way to ensure long-term success.
What NOT To Say When Your Child Is Being Bullied
Posted: 8/23/2019
Knowing the right way to respond when your child says that they’ve been experiencing bullying can be difficult for any parent. In the past, conventional wisdom has led some parents to give their children advice that can cause more problems in the future. Responses like “just ignore it” or “toughen up” can lead to lasting negative effects for children.
In an article for the Huffington Post, Bailey Huston—the coordinator of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center—walks through what parents should avoid saying to a child who is experiencing bullying. Rather than focus on the child’s need to overpower bullying behavior on their own, Huston recommends that parents take a more supportive and proactive approach.
Children often experience negative emotions like insecurity, fear, and helplessness when they are subjected to bullying. When parents tell a child to buck up and face the bullying on their own, or that the child is being too sensitive about bullying behavior, these isolating feelings can be become overwhelming.
Huston says that the best thing parents can do for a child going through a bullying situation is assure them that they are not alone. Working with your child to develop an action plan to prevent the bullying from happening again is a concrete way to show that support and helps the child gain confidence.
The Beach Boys Make a Splash at PACER’s 37th Annual Benefit
Posted: 5/30/2019
On Saturday, May 11, PACER Center hosted its Annual Benefit featuring an iconic live performance from The Beach Boys. Guests were on their feet and tossing beach balls for one of the most exciting Benefit performances yet!
Before the performance, guests perused and bid on around 2,000 items in PACER’s legendary silent auction. For the first time ever, the silent auction featured mobile bidding, allowing guests to easily find, track, and bid on their favorite items from the convenience of a smartphone.
WCCO-TV’s Frank Vascellaro was back again to act as auctioneer for the live auction in the concert hall. Audience members leapt to place bids on spectacular packages, including a VIP trip for four to Disneyworld and a week-long stay at a secluded villa in idyllic Bucerias, Mexico.
The Benefit’s emcee was none other than Andrew Zimmern, celebrity chef, TV personality, writer, and a dear friend of PACER. Zimmern introduced an inspiring video for PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, announced the winner of this year’s Otto Bremer Award, honored PACER’s executive director, Paula Goldberg, and the hardworking staff and volunteers who made the night possible, and readied the crowd for The Beach Boys.
Check out the Star Tribune’s coverage of this year’s PACER Annual Benefit in Scene + Heard.
The National Bullying Prevention Center’s 5th Annual Unity Awards is May 22
Posted: 5/14/2019
Bullying is an issue that no child should ever have to endure. Fortunately, there are people who care and are work toward making our schools, communities, and the web kinder, more accepting places. PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center is proud to host the 5th Annual Unity Awards on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, at PACER Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, to recognize those who do this important work.
The Unity Awards ceremony, first held in 2015, is an evening of celebration to gather and recognize those who are helping to create a world without bullying—whether it’s building awareness of bullying prevention, inspiring and empowering others to take positive action, or advocating for those who need support.
Nominations come in from around the country and have included teachers who have touched the lives of students, individuals or groups who have been active in their communities, and those who simply made someone feel that they were not alone.
The Unity Awards are presented by The Faces of Change, the Youth Advisory Boards of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. These inspiring young people are encouraging their generation to increase kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Their goal is to promote bullying prevention and inspire students to support one another. Their work exemplifies how student involvement can create positive change that results in stronger relationships, safer schools, and more supportive communities.