News & Events

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.

Learn more about NBPC’s Unity Awards.

‘I Feel Amazing’: Teen Touts Transformative Help from PACER

Posted: 4/24/2019

Recently, 16-year-old Darcey Hayes joined PACER staff and supporters at PACER’s Day at the Capitol. When she arrived at the Minnesota State Capitol, she marched in to meet her state representative, Ron Kresha.

The sophomore from Upsala is the president of the PACER Youth Advisory Board. Though not able to lobby or talk about legislation, she can share how special education works and her experience with it.

Hayes feels like a totally different person thanks to PACER.

“I feel amazing. I mean, I have friends, which I never really thought I would have,” Hayes said. “I’m doing really good in school. I’m able to do extracurricular things. I’m in my robotics team, I’m in knowledge bowl, I’m in FFA. I mean, I do so many things that I never thought I would be able to do.”

“When we can find groups like PACER that really get to those child issues and help them with their potential and really being who they can be, that’s something we need to keep pushing for in St. Paul,” Representative Kresha said.

Read and watch the full story from WCCO-TV.

Students organizing to create a world without bullying

Posted: 4/18/2019

On March 26, 315 students packed Elkins Auditorium at Pepperdine University to hear the Pepperdine Waves Debate Team and students from the Woodlake Elementary “Let’s Argue” class debate the question, “Can we create a world without bullying?”

Every attendee at the debate reported that they “learned something new” about bullying prevention, and 77.8% said that the event “expanded my understanding of what bullying can look like.”

Congratulations and many thanks to Dr. Abi Smith, debate professor, coach of the Waves, and creator of the Woodlake “Let’s Argue” class, as well as Juan Carlos Hugues, Tiffany Hall, and the Waves team for organizing the event. Special thanks to Dr. Luisa Raynal and Andres Phillips from the School of Public Policy for their participation.

Read more about PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in Los Angeles.

PACER’s Early Childhood Family Leadership Summit is April 27

Posted: 4/18/2019

On Saturday, April 27, PACER will be hosting the Early Childhood Family Leadership Summit. This free, one-day training session is intended for parents of children ages birth to seven years old with developmental delays or disabilities. The Summit will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 8161 Normandale Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55416.

At the summit, parents will learn how to make their voices heard and enhance their knowledge of the early childhood special education process. All parents who are interested in serving in a leadership capacity in special education are encouraged to attend. The summit will also be highly informative for parents who currently serve or are interested in serving on Interagency Early Intervention Committees (IEICs), IEIC subcommittees, Special Education Advisory Councils (SEACs), or other advisory boards.

Participants at the summit will:

• Have an opportunity to network with other parents interested in the early childhood special education process
• Learn how to influence public policy, improve personal advocacy skills, and enhance leadership skills
• Learn about serving on committees and board

If an ASL interpreter is needed, please call 952-838-1338 with 48 hours’ notice. Lodging may be provided for parents traveling more than 70 miles one way.

To register for the Early Childhood Family Leadership Summit, please contact Judy Swett at [email protected] or 952-838-9000.

The Basics of Banishing Bullying

Posted: 2/14/2019

At a recent workshop in La Porte County, Indiana, Bailey Huston, coordinator of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, discussed the best practices of bullying intervention with nearly 100 local educators, advocates, and professionals. Huston instructed attendees on how to properly define and identify bullying, how to navigate the dynamics underlying bullying, and, most importantly, how to effectively intervene and advocate on behalf of those who are the targets of bullying. Her presentation also covered the differences between bullying and conflict, as well as when bullying can qualify as discriminatory harassment.

Educators, school counselors, juvenile probation officers, social workers, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, volunteer mentors, foster parents, and more came together to discuss these best practices and to share their knowledge and resources with one another. Huston made it a goal to pair her extensive knowledge of bullying prevention with their wisdom about the community—that relationship, she explains, is what paves the way for real growth.

Read the full article at The Michigan City Dispatch.

New Hours for Simon Technology Center’s Loan Library for Assistive Technology

Posted: 10/19/2018

PACER’s Simon Technology Center (STC) Loan Library is here to meet your assistive technology needs with over 1,500 items in inventory!  Based on use and demand, the Loan Library has new open hours: Tuesdays 12 pm to 7 pm, Thursdays 9 am to 1 pm, and the following Saturdays for 2018: September 22, October 20, November 17 and December 15. Appointments may also be scheduled to visit the library during business hours by calling 952-838-9000 or email [email protected] at least a day in advance. STC’s Library entrance is located on the north side of the PACER building.