Nancy's NEST

You can support Nancy’s NEST and honor Nancy’s legacy by making a contribution here.

The Pace Counseling Center, affectionately known as Nancy’s NEST, is where Pace girls get the Nourishment and Emotional Support to Thrive. Nancy’s NEST is home to the Pace Counseling Program and plays an essential role in supporting the holistic development and emotional well-being of every girl enrolled in the Pace Palm Beach Day Program. 

Through one-on-one counseling sessions, students receive personalized guidance and emotional support tailored to their individual needs in a safe and welcoming space. In addition, monthly contact with parents is made to ensure that positive counsel extends beyond the classroom and into the home, strengthening the entire family unit and significantly increasing the likelihood of breaking generational cycles of trauma and abuse.

As a core component of the Day Program, the Pace Counseling Program at Nancy’s NEST is integrated into a broader wraparound model that includes academics, college and career readiness, life skills training, and therapeutic support, equipping each student with the tools, resources, and confidence to succeed in all areas of life.

Nancy’s NEST honors the life and legacy of Nancy Baer. Nancy was a woman of boundless generosity who emerged from a childhood defined by physical and emotional abuse determined that no girl should have to suffer in the way that she did. She lived each day committed to making sure that every person in her presence felt seen, heard, and understood.

Nancy left a profound mark on everyone she encountered. She was a fierce advocate for others, and a warm, welcoming presence to all, opening her heart, her home, and her kitchen table to anyone in need. Nancy believed in meeting people with compassion and without judgment and treated everyone she encountered as a friend. Known for her sharp humor, quick wit, perseverance, and grit, her legacy will long outlast her life.
 
Nancy’s NEST was designed to reflect Nancy's warmth and empathy, featuring soothing colors, soft lighting, and comfortable furnishings to foster a sense of emotional safety, security, and calm. Intentionally curated, it is a place of reprieve from the adversity many Pace girls feel in their day-to-day lives. A sanctuary from the outside world, Nancy’s NEST is a place where girls can rest, reflect, receive support, and grow into the strongest, healthiest versions of themselves.

Nancy’s NEST was made possible through the generous financial support of The Nancy Baer Foundation for Children, led by Nancy’s husband Rick Baer, and Nancy’s daughters Lauren and Alyson Baer, but it is sustained through the ongoing support of generous donors throughout the community. You can support Nancy’s NEST and honor Nancy’s legacy by making a contribution here.