Our History

For more than thirty-five years, Pace Center for Girls has been transforming the lives of girls and young women. Founded in 1985 by Vicki Burke, the first Pace Center launched with ten girls in Jacksonville, Florida. Vicki had an idea, rooted in facts, that girls were entering the juvenile justice system as a response to delinquent behavior often caused by trauma. Pace has successfully grown to annually serve more than 3,000 girls in 23 locations in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Through a successful and proven evidence-based model, focused on the development of critical life, health, and academic skills, Pace has changed the life trajectory of more than 40,000 girls and is recognized as one of the nation’s leading advocates for girls in need.