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Gretchen Godfrey Email
Associate Director . PACER Center
Bloomington, MN
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Current Roles
Employees:
89Revenue:
$7.5MAbout
When PACER was established in 1977, it began with one project: Parents Helping Parents. Then as now, PACER was staffed primarily by parents of children with disabilities dedicated to educating other parents and improving the lives of children with disabilities throughout Minnesota. With a small grant from the Minnesota Department of Education, PACER conducted a five-month pilot project and demonstrated the effectiveness of the "parents helping parents" model. Although today PACER offers more than 30 programs for parents, students, professionals and other parent organizations, the original philosophy of "parents helping parents" remains the foundation upon which PACER has grown. Whether addressing the issues of early childhood or assisting youth in making the transition from high school to work, parents on PACER's staff share their experiences and their knowledge with others so that all Minnesota's children with disabilities may have a better future. A look at the past 30 years shows the commitment and some of the accomplishments of PACER friends, boards and other volunteers and staff who have worked hard to make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities and their families. 1976 The PACER Coalition is formed. 1977 PACER incorporates as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Bill Messinger writes bylaws and articles of incorporation. 1978 PACER opens its doors in a South Minneapolis storefront location with card tables, used office furniture from 3M, and five eager employees, most of them part-time. 1979 Establishes the COUNT ME IN Puppet program that teaches elementary and preschool children about inclusion. 1982 Sponsors the first PACER Benefit at Children's Theatre for 75 people. Now, the PACER Benefit features world-famous performers and is the "Hottest Ticket in Town." 1983 PACER helps to write national legislation for parent training and information centers and technical assistance. 1984 Becomes a Technical Assistance for Parents Project (TAPP) Regional Office. The program helps establish PACER as a national presence in assisting parents of children with disabilities. 1985 Helps establish transition (from high school to post-secondary education or training, employment, and the community) services within the Minnesota Department of Education. Today, Minnesota is considered a national leader in transition. 1987 Opens the Simon Technology Center assistive technology program. State-of-the art equipment and nationally respected staff provide communication and learning breakthroughs for children with disabilities every day. 1994 Burns the mortgage on 4826 Chicago Ave. So. building. 1997 Becomes National Center of the Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers, coordinating technical assistance among the over 100 Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers across the nation. 2000 With strong financial support from individuals, corporations, and foundations, PACER moves to a family-friendly, accessible, newly renovated building at Interstate 494 and Highway 100. 2004 PACER's first HOT event receives a warm reception from party-goers. 2005 PACER goes international through a collaborative assistive technology project in India. Sets of COUNT ME IN puppets take up residence with organizations in England and Japan. PACESETTER newsletter circulation hits 100,000. 2006 PACER launches PACERKidsAgainstBullying.org, an interactive Web site to help children deal with and prevent bullying. PACER has two national "firsts": the first National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week and the first National Ted and Dr. Roberta Mann Foundation Symposium about Children & Young Adults with Mental Health and Learning Disabilities. PACER receives a five-year, almost $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to be the Minnesota Parent Information and Resource Center (PIRC) for parent-school partnerships. 2007 PACER meets the strict eligibility of the Combined Federal Campaign, the largest workplace charity campaign in the country, and is added to its charity list. PACER relaunches PACER.org with a new look, new navigation, and additional high-quality content for parents and professionals. 2008 PACER spearheads collaborative effort with IBM, others to open first technology center for children and adults with disabilities in Bangalore, India. IBM Foundation gives PACER a national grant to distribute 600 Young Explorer computers and provide training to early childhood classrooms across the country. 2009 Disney teen star Demi Lovato helps PACER launch its new PACERTeensAgainstBullying.org, an innovative Web site to help teens deal with and prevent bullying.PACER Center Address
8161 Normandale Blvd.Bloomington, MN
United States