PACE has openings for teen girls in need of a boost
Pace Harn Educator Natalie Saltmarsh talks with students of the Pace Center for Girls as they work to create relief prints Thursday, February 2, 2012. The class taught by print maker Leslie Peebles is part of the Harn Pace Program, which is a two year grant from the National Endowment of the Arts. The finished prints will eventually be displayed at the Harn Museum of Art on the University of Florida campus. The endowment runs out this May. Saltmarsh said they are looking for anyway possible to continue the program because its been so successful. "It's special for them because they don't have any art classes in their curriculum here."
Doug Finger/ Staff PhotographerPublished: Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 5:41 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 5:41 p.m.
When girls lose their way, PACE helps them find the right path.
The PACE Center of Girls Alachua County has available openings for 18 girls in its program, in part due to additional funding from the state Department of Juvenile Justice and due to students graduating.
PACE, located on Southeast Fourth Street, helps girls in times of crisis, said director Kathie Southwick, whether it's because of instability at home, the prospect of being incarcerated or because they've been victimized.
"It's hard to be a teen no matter what your circumstances," she said. "We provide a way for them to catch up if they fall behind."
The center offers a voluntary, year-round educational day program, led by five teachers and supplemented with two counselors as well as counseling interns from the University of Florida.
Girls may stay at PACE for up to 18 months as they catch up on school credits. Currently, the center has 36 students enrolled.
Many of the students come from single-parent homes or low-income families, Southwick said, but girls who are just having trouble finding motivation to attend school are just as welcome.
Students are referred by probation officers, counselors, judges and others, she said.
Southwick said the additional slots now available have been long-needed in the community.
"Usually we have 10 to 15 girls on a waiting list," she said. But once space is available, Southwick said, sometimes the phone is disconnected or the family circumstances have changed.
The Department of Juvenile Justice received additional funds, allowing the center to add eight slots. Another 10 girls successfully returned to their home schools.
The center also offers a specialized class called Spirited Girls that teaches students about healthy relationships, taking care of themselves and other life skills while also providing an outlet for the girls to talk about their problems, Southwick said.
"It helps the girls learn they're not alone, that others are struggling too," she said.
Students also shadow professionals in many fields so they can learn what possibilities await them after PACE, Southwick said.
She met one ex-student while at a doctor's office, Southwick said. The woman, now 30, has a career as an X-ray technician and is married with children.
"We treat each student as if she were our daughter," she said, and it shows when students leave the program.
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