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Apr
04

Embracing Growth and Change

Pace girls come from all backgrounds, but throughout their time at Pace, we teach them to embrace growth and change while working to invest in their futures.  

For many Pace girls, feeling discounted and doubted can be a familiar feeling. Lexi, a freshman at Pace Treasure Coast, knows it too well: “I didn’t feel believed in when people told me that I wasn’t going to make it out from where I came from. But I did everything I could to try and prove them wrong.” Many girls like Lexi come to Pace after experiencing challenges, such as living in poverty, experiencing trauma, and struggling with their mental health.  

Every day, our exceptional team of counselors and therapists work to create safe, inclusive spaces and help girls realize and harness their power.

Amber, Lexi, and Laura 

Amber, a freshman celebrating her one-year anniversary of enrolling at Pace, is proud to be a good listener to her friends, often helping them solve their problems. She remembers: “My friends told me they believed in me because I’m basically their counselor. They believed that I could help them and make them believe in themselves, and that made me believe in myself.” 

Amber isn’t the only one who has felt affirmed by her peers at Pace. Laura, an 8th-grade student, loves when her peers recognize her artistic talent. She says: “Whenever I get to show people [my art], and they complement me about it, I get really happy. I love getting compliments because I’m being recognized for something that most people wouldn’t really think is a big deal, but for me it is.”  

This support for each girl’s individual strengths is at the center of the Pace experience. In Spirited Girls, one of Pace’s signature classes, girls build a monthly affirmation calendar and then read an affirmation each day. Lexi says “It helps boost my confidence. When people put me down, I say ‘I am, I can, and I will.’” 

And this encouragement extends outside of the classroom. Laura shares her gratitude for her counselor, saying: “I really look up to my counselor. Miss Lena is the backbone of this place: She does so much for us.”  

Above all, the lessons girls learn every day at Pace are directly tied to their future ambitions. Amber, whose friends affirm her incredible ability to make them feel heard and seen, wants to be a guidance counselor. Lexi, who is learning to believe in herself, aspires to be a biomedical researcher or a psychiatrist. And Laura, who loves art with her entire being, wants to be an animator.  

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The girls and young women Pace supports receive academic instruction and work closely with counselors and therapists trained in gender-responsive and trauma-based therapy. These resources are made available to girls at no cost to them. Know a girl who could benefit from Pace? Learn more and enroll today! 

Mar
31

One Hundred Teen Girls Meet Florida Legislators at Pace Day at the Capitol

There is one engine that will continue to drive the future: the power of our girls and young women. We see every moment and new day as an opportunity for empowerment as we work to inspire and connect the next generation of leaders. 

More than 100 Pace girls from across the state met with members of the Florida House, Florida Senate and other elected officials and leaders at Pace Day at the Capitol. During two days of meetings, training and programs, girls learned about policymaking, ways to effectively advocate for themselves, and how to authentically share their stories.

“The speeches really got to me. It was empowering to hear Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell say that I could be signing his paycheck in the future and one of these offices could be mine,” shared Sadie, 14, a Pace girl from Collier at Immokalee. “And, when Josefina Tamayo said, ‘I will, I can and I do,’ that really got to me.  

Girls heard from Alice Sims, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Prevention Services for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell from the Florida Department of Education’s Division of Career and Adult Education, Josefina Tamayo, CEO of Volunteer Florida and Sen. Jennifer Bradley, Chair of Criminal Justice Appropriations, who hosted a mock Senate session on the merits of requiring middle and high schools to have a later start time.  

“My favorite part of the day was the mock Senate session because I got to sponsor the bill,” shared Ryann, 17, a Pace girl from Jacksonville. “It felt like I was able to project to everyone that every girl has a voice. After participating in Pace Day at the Capitol, I’m inspired to hopefully work in legislation one day. I feel inspired to be one of the women I heard from during the Women in Politics panel and potentially have my own bill one day.” 

A panel of members of Pace’s Board of Trustees focused on Women in Politics and encouraged girls to set goals and consider multiple career paths. The panel included former Sen. Anitere Flores, Brittany Perkins Castillo, Chief Executive Officer of AshBritt Environmental, and Marva Johnson, Group Vice President, State Government Affairs for Charter Communications, and was moderated by Tracy Mayernick, of The Mayernick Group. 

“Because of Pace Day at the Capitol and the female legislators I met, I feel like I am not alone and capable of sharing my story to make a difference for future generations,” shared Jossmaire, 16, a Pace girl from Jacksonville.

“Pace Day at the Capitol gave me the opportunity to be myself, talk to other people and not feel uncomfortable,” shared Gabby, 14, a Pace girl from Volusia-Flagler.  

“I was given a really cool opportunity to meet legislators who represent my community and other Pace girls,” shared Makaila, 18, a Pace girl from Citrus.

Women who have come before us have given present day girls and young women the opportunity to make their voices heard. Women like Vicki Burke, the founder of Pace Center for Girls, who is recognized in the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame for her impactful legacy.  

At Pace, we know the strength our girls have individually, but we are stronger together. When we collaborate with one another, lift each other up and unify for a cause, we can accomplish great things.  

Pace’s work has positively impacted the lives of more than 40,000 girls and over the past decade has contributed to a more than 60% decrease in the number of girls that are referred to Florida’s juvenile justice system. Eight out of 10 girls that attend Pace graduate from high school, pursue higher education or secure employment after the program.  

The belief in our girls today will create lasting generational change, transforming our world for the better. 

Pace Day at the Capitol was made possible thanks to a community of support who believe in the great in every girl, including TECO Energy, Florida Lottery and The Mayernick Group. 

 

Jan
17

Investing in Women and Girls’ Futures 

January is Poverty in America Awareness Month — a time to recognize the past and present effects of poverty in our communities. The cost-of-living crisis facing the world is putting women’s livelihoods, health and wellbeing at risk.  

Pace Center for Girls often operates in the intersection between poverty, mental health, and education, with 90% of Pace girls living below the poverty line. For Lisa Spears, Pace Reach Manager in South Carolina, this statistic represents an opportunity to better serve girls, their families and communities.  

That’s where Pace’s Reach program comes in. Pace Reach is in more than 17 communities across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, and provides free mental health services to over 1,000 girls every year. The girls and young women we support receive academic instruction and work closely with counselors trained in trauma-based therapy and suicide screening. They also get life coaching to learn basic life skills, such as personal hygiene, shopping for groceries and how to land their first job.  

For girls growing up under the poverty line, having access to counseling and therapy isn’t a given. And with the other challenges associated with poverty — like working extended hours, caretaking duties, and lacking resources such as laptops or reliable internet access — middle and high school girls can slip through the cracks. That’s why Pace Reach therapists are so critical: “Sometimes you have to help elevate a girl’s voice to get her at the front of the line,” Lisa says.   

One Pace girl shared: “My family and I had been facing some challenges — a lot of it came from financial struggles. The tipping point was the eviction, which hit me really hard. When we were forced out, the people took everything — my clothes, my laptop, all the things I needed for school, and I felt guilty. I prided myself on being an overachieving 16-year-old, and I believed I could have done something to prevent this situation. A mentor of mine recommended that I reach out to Pace and talk to someone. I am the most resilient person I know and because of Pace, I can recognize that.”  

From increasing their grades to working on improving their mental health, Pace girls go on to succeed in school and have a real sense of their worth. That’s what makes Lisa so hopeful for the future of the girls she supports. “We say to them: ‘Once a Pace girl, always a Pace girl.’ They have pride in the fact that they participated in Pace and improved their skills and ability to make safe and healthy decisions.”  

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Are you a girl who’s interested in Pace? Know a girl who may benefit from our programs? Click here to learn more about life at Pace and how you can enroll.   

Jan
13

Together, We Have a Dream.

Our girls recognize they have an important role to play as young leaders — raising their voices to make a difference in their communities. And more importantly, they believe they can ignite future generations, as changemakers and inspiration for future Pace girls.

At a recent Pace Jacksonville showcase in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., girls shared how they see his dreams echoed in their generation. They performed spoken word, danced and used art as a means of self-reflection and recognition.

Hear from Pace girls:

I have a dream that one day the world will gather in unity and peace. We will join hands and decode the parables of the world, so it keeps us at ease. To make my dream happen, I will continue to spread charity and remind people that we are the dream, and we all have a purpose of being here. But we all have to help each other. There is no community without unity.” — Evie, Pace girl

I have a dream that one day I’ll be able to serve in my community and help all people no matter their walk in life, culture or economic position. And I will advocate for what’s right. Things I will do now to make sure my dream happens are graduate from high school, have a good attitude, focus on what I want, don’t let anything stop me and follow my dreams.” — Felecia, Pace girl

I have a dream that I will make my mom happy. The things that I will do to make my dream happen are finish school and go to the military. I will keep my dream alive.” — Zy’kariya, Pace girl

I have a dream that one day women will be shown respect regardless of the choices they make. That women can do everything that men can. That other women show all women love. Love is a strong thing in our day. Things that I will do now to make that dream happen are show each and every woman I meet love and care. I will protect women and do the best that I can.” — Kayla, Pace girl

Pace Jacksonville’s Performing Arts Club invites girls to engage, collaborate and raise their voices through music, art, dance and spoken word. The arts have a unique ability to capture stories while giving a voice to both individual and collective experiences.

Dec
19

Once a Pace Girl, Always a Pace Girl

Destiny is a former Pace Polk girl who overcame significant adversity in her journey from young woman to a substitute teacher, mother, and recent college graduate.

As a young woman Destiny described herself as “being allowed to do whatever I wanted,” raised in a household where her parents didn’t provide direction or guidance. The lack of structure and support led her to struggle in a traditional school setting.

Expelled from Sleepy Hill Middle School, Pace was the only option for school that Destiny was given. As an 11-year-old – the youngest girl in her class at Pace Polk – Destiny described the environment she found there as a sisterhood.

“I remember Miss Susan teaching me about my period and how to properly brush my teeth and what we should do if we didn’t have toothpaste, because she knew a lot of us didn’t,” Destiny recalled on her early time at Pace, pointing to how her experience helped her to build foundational skills she wasn’t getting elsewhere.

“It was rough,” Destiny shared. “Pace was full of girls just like me, so it was nice to not feel so alone.”

Destiny completed her sixth-grade year at Pace and afterward tried to go back to traditional school settings but found they didn’t fit like her experience at Pace had. She attempted different schools, dropping out a total of four times before she landed back at Pace.

Upon returning back to Pace, Destiny was able to focus and completed the rest of her middle and high school education. Reflecting back all these years later, Destiny recalls a teacher, Mrs. Laura, who provided her with a cap and gown at the Pace graduation ceremony because Destiny couldn’t afford her own. “It was like that one moment at the end of the year that will stay with me forever.” Destiny acknowledges that this simple act of kindness helped shape the person she would later become.

After finishing high school, Destiny focused on further establishing herself with her newly found skills. After 10 years, she turned back to education, graduating in 2021 from Hillsborough Community College with her Associates of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice.

“Two years ago, I was hired by DCF at their Lakeland office. It was the first real job I ever had. Of all the people in the world I thought to share my good news with, I thought of my Pace social worker first. I tried to find her on social media, because I was just so proud of what I had done. She had such an impact on me that after more than 15 years without contact I wanted to share the good news with her first.”

Today Destiny is a substitute teacher, a wife, and a mother of two who is continuing on in her higher education journey with plans to pursue a law degree through Florida State University and subsequent graduate programs to become a lawyer. She drives a minivan, noting the enduring symbol of suburban normality, and admits, “I am not anything like you would expect someone with an upbringing like mine to be, and Pace should be credited with that.”

Reflecting on how Pace has impacted her relationship with her daughter, Destiny shared: “There was a Christmas program at Pace where we were gifted things our teachers thought fit our personality. I was gifted a book ‘The daring book for girls’ and bookmarked was a chapter my teacher thought I’d enjoy. I gave that book to my first-born daughter 11 years ago, and the sticky note she used still marks my favorite chapter to this day.”

Destiny feels the driving force which allowed her to persevere and succeed is hope. This sentiment is reflected in her advice for Pace girls, or other young people experiencing challenging situations:

“Everything that you go through is temporary. And you will get there. You just have to persevere.”


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