Pace Insights

May

A multifaceted approach to care is essential to supporting girls. Here’s why.

Posted on: May 17, 2022

When the pandemic started, Brianna began to see her world unravel — and with it, her mental health.

Brianna loved going to school to be with friends. Although she didn’t love schoolwork, her social life helped her thrive. With schools closing due to the pandemic and more time spent at home, Brianna’s relationships began to suffer. Formerly extroverted Brianna now felt shy and reclusive.

At her new school, a counselor connected her with Pace. When she first entered Pace, she was nervous but found that the size of the classrooms and hours of the program fit her needs. Through wrap-around, personalized behavioral health support, Brianna has taken control of her mental health journey and developed healthy coping mechanisms. She actively engages with Pace programs designed to provide support, such as TOPs — a teen outreach program — Girls Leadership Council, and has taken up running and drawing as hobbies.

Today, Brianna is thriving as a Pace girl in Palm Beach.

As we observe Mental Health Awareness Month this May, stories like Brianna’s — and the untold millions struggling with similar issues amid a growing youth mental health crisis — should be our call to action to take much-needed steps to support our girls and young women.

“Mental health is the center of gravity,” said Heather Blaise, a Pace Reach program manager in Palm Beach. “Finding the support to value yourself and know yourself is foundational to living to your full potential.”

Heather, who shared her perspective sitting next to Brianna in a Palm Beach classroom, sees firsthand the value that a community-first approach to mental health support can deliver.

“The Pace Reach Program is designed to be community based — to go outside of the Pace day programs and meet girls where they’re at: in their schools, in their homes and in their communities,” she said. “Our goal is to ensure that things like transportation and finances don’t become a barrier to providing the behavioral health services that girls need.”

Barriers to access is a significant consideration in improving mental health care. Ripple effects of the pandemic including economic troubles, isolation and health problems are compounding issues that girls were already struggling with while navigating their social lives, their education and changes in their bodies. When these challenges are coupled with barriers to access, girls are left with limited places to turn.

Complex challenges such as these must be met with a multi-faceted approach to support, which is why Pace programs are designed to meet girls where they are both physically and developmentally.

In addition to programs like Reach, Pace employs a support system throughout our holistic approach that addresses three key pillars, including:

● Gender-responsive: We understand girls’ unique perspectives and tailor our approach to their lived experiences.

● Strengths-based: We talk with girls about what they love and help them advance those skills.

● Trauma-informed: We know that traumatic experiences can be at the heart of behavioral issues. Approaching a girls’ lived experience with empathy and compassion is critical to healing.

“People think there is only one way to address mental health issues,” said Brianna, “but when they become more educated on the topic, they can begin to understand mental health on a deeper level.”

Brianna’s words reflect our beliefs at Pace: positive mental health outcomes begin with communication, education and support. Every day, our exceptional team of counselors and therapists work to create safe, inclusive spaces and help girls realize and harness their power. Sharing this ethos is key to helping girls across the country navigate the ongoing mental health crisis.

As Brianna and Heather sat together in the classroom discussing their unique perspectives on mental health, one thing is clear: there is no substitute for genuine connection and care.

If you have a girl or young woman in your life, Mental Health Awareness Month is a great time to check-in with her. Sometimes just asking someone how she is doing can be an important step to prevention or to beginning a healing journey. If you know someone who may be a good fit for our programs, click here to learn more about Pace.

May

Looking Forward: Pace Girls Share Their Aspirations for the Future

Posted on: May 5, 2022

Stories

At Pace, we celebrate all our girls’ successes as they look towards the future! College Signing Day is celebrated on May 7, an initiative presented by Better Make Room that aims to inspire students to reach higher. This day celebrates all students committed to pursuing an education past high school, whether at a professional training program, the military, a community college or a four-year college or university.

We sat down with three Pace girls who shared their interests and aspirations for the future:

“Coming to Pace really helped me. I learned that if the people around you aren’t helping you grow, they shouldn’t be in your life,” said Karimah from Pace Palm Beach. “After Pace, I want to go to college. I like psychology and criminology a lot. I like thinking about what people think, and why they’re thinking it. I also love writing — it’s so fun to me. If I could do anything in the world without any constraints, I would be a writer. I’m not sure career-wise, but there are so many opportunities.”

Quinn from Pace Escambia-Santa Rosa shared: “My passion is music, music theory, and teaching others what’s fun about music. My love of music came from my dad. He had a little area in our house where he had all his instruments. He taught me to play so many things on the guitar, and really finding how much I loved it came from him.

Before Pace, I didn’t accept help for a long time. I was in denial. Finally, I decided to go into a GED program, and I graduated with really good scores in about a month. I’m focused on [applying to] Pensacola State College because my dad’s old music teacher is still there. I want to learn under him and eventually teach students music theory.”

Idali, also from Pace Palm Beach, explained: “After Pace, I want to go to college. Currently, I work at Starbucks, and they have this program where they pay for tuition for Arizona State online. I want to take advantage of free college. I want to learn something in psychology or sociology. Growing up, I watched a lot of shows on law enforcement, which gave me a passion to be a profiler and to study how humans think and behave. I’m interested in joining law enforcement, and that’s my dream.”

Since 1985, Pace has supported more than 40,000 girls with our personalized approach, empowering girls to reach their highest potential and showing them that a life of love, success and happiness is possible. At Pace, seven out of 10 teen girls graduate from high school, pursue higher education or secure employment, and nine out of 10 have experienced overall academic improvement.

Learn more about Pace’s academic progra ms.

May

Celebrating Pace Team Members During Teacher Appreciation Week

Posted on: May 4, 2022

Staff and Culture

“I really appreciate Ms. Kathy. She played a big role in me graduating. She was the one that contacted my old school to set me up right. She’s been there every step of the way. I can’t thank her enough. She’s number one. She’s my rock.” — Tyra from Pace Polk

At Pace, our team of dedicated teachers, counselors, therapists, and directors foster safe, supportive, and inclusive environments for our girls to help them reach their goals.

During Teacher Appreciation Week, join us in celebrating the hundreds of teachers who inspire confidence, ignite imagination and instill a love of learning in our girls.

Four Pace girls shared their appreciation for their favorite teachers:

“One of the main supporters I’ve had at Pace is Mr. Walter,” shared Quinn from Pace Escambia-Santa Rosa. “Mr. Walter was the first person I told when I passed the GED test. He’s like a dad to me, since I didn’t have one growing up. He’s pushed me to be my best, and he really showed me how proud he is of me — that I am finding myself and finding what I love doing.”

Idali and Karimah both shared gratitude for Mr. Christie, a history teacher and academic advisor at Pace Palm Beach.

“Mr. Christie has so much faith in me. He always makes sure that everyone feels safe in the classroom — that’s his priority,” said Idali. “I came to Pace because I was doing really bad at academics. My grades were really low because I was skipping classes and didn’t care about my classes. As soon as I came to Pace, they’ve helped me a lot. I’m on track to graduate next year.”

“Mr. Christie is the best. He’s a history teacher, and he’s always giving us the most valuable information,” added Karimah. “He’s like an encyclopedia — he knows so much. I’ve learned so much about the world and the state it’s in right now, and I’m so grateful to him.”

Every day, our team of counselors, therapists and educators advocate for our girls’ physical and mental health and help them thrive and grow, creating brighter futures for all. Since 1985, more than 40,000 teen girls and young women have had the opportunity to achieve their own success, leading to positive outcomes for themselves, their families and communities.

Join us in celebrating all team members for their continued commitment to create strong girls and strong communities.

Get involved with Pace and check out our current open positions!

Apr

Denim Day: Wearing Jeans with a Purpose

Posted on: April 28, 2022

Staff and Culture

Pace joins communities across the country in recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).

On Denim Day, April 27, 2022, the longest running sexual violence prevention and education campaign in history, McKenzie Marsch, Special Projects Manager at Pace Palm Beach, participated in a panel discussion hosted by Palm Beach County Victim Services.

Denim Day asks community members, elected officials, and businesses to wear denim to combat victim blaming and educate others about sexual violence. McKenzie participated in the panel discussion on behalf of Palm Beach County’s Girls Coordinating Council.

“Representing the Girls Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County, I had the opportunity to share why we should decrease discomfort related to discussing sexual assault and consent and the importance of leading with the ‘start by believing’ mindset,” shared McKenzie.

Since 2017, Girls Coordinating Councils (GCC) have been formed, like the one in Palm Beach, in various counties throughout Florida and Georgia. The Girls Coordinating Council is a community collaborative focusing on reforming and strengthening the system of care for girls and young women.

Change begins when girls get the help they need to further their education, strengthen their relationships, interpersonal skills, and learn healthy coping mechanisms that help them overcome past trauma and look toward the future.

Apr

Advancing Safe Driving Skills and Awareness with State Farm

Posted on: April 26, 2022

Partnerships

In recognition of April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Pace Center for Girls partnered with State Farm Insurance to advance girls’ understanding of distracted driving and safe driving skills.

Pace is committed to addressing topics that improve girls’ skills and ability to make healthy decisions and reduce harmful habits to their health, wellness, and safety. When we focus on supporting girls, they gain the power to achieve success in all areas of their lives, leading to positive outcomes for themselves, their families and communities.

Texting, talking on the phone, eating, drinking, and fiddling with music – all common activities of teenagers – can have catastrophic results when driving. In 2020, there were more than 48,000 driving crashes in Florida – 75 percent of which were caused by the driver being inattentive behind the wheel.

“At Pace, our holistic approach provides girls the counseling, academic courses and life-skill training they need to make safe and healthy decisions,” said Mary Marx, president and CEO of Pace Center for Girls. “Distracted driving is a public health threat, so we are thankful to State Farm for investing in Pace and partnering with us to develop this curriculum to teach our girls passenger and driver safety skills.”

Pace Jacksonville teamed up with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and local volunteers to celebrate Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

From April 19 through 22, Pace hosted a week-long initiative across its 21 Florida locations where girls completed lessons, crafted art projects and heard from guest speakers including representatives from State Farm, and Cara Filler, America’s leading speaker on traffic safety and peer pressure. The service-learning opportunity was made possible thanks to a $85,000 statewide grant from State Farm Insurance.

Kiya was one of 50 girls who participated in the safety clinic at Pace Pinellas and shared, “Do not answer because it doesn’t matter if you get a text from your mom, your boyfriend or anyone. If you are driving and you answer that text, any second something could go wrong.”

“Working with the Pace girls has been a memorable and rewarding experience,” said Jose Soto, State Farm Corporate Responsibility Analyst. “The girls have an incredible abundance of talent and creativity, and our agents enjoyed the opportunity to teach them invaluable lessons about safe driving that will build a safer, stronger and better-educated community.”

Pace Volusia-Flagler hosted a Transportation Safety Fair to help build a safer, stronger, and better-educated community.

The week-long programming concluded with an awareness campaign art competition. Like many of Pace’s programs, art was intentionally woven into curriculum as a powerful tool of expression. From the competition, three winners will be selected, and the statewide winning art piece will be displayed at the Florida State Capitol.

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