Path to Academics, Community and Employment (PACE)

Founded in 1986, P.A.C.E. at National Louis University is a three-year, post-secondary certificate program designed to meet the transitional needs for young adults with multiple intellectual, learning and developmental disabilities.

P.A.C.E. is one of the leading residential-based programs in the country that integrates employment preparation, independent living skills coaching, functional academic courses and social development into a curriculum that prepares students for independent living through experiential learning.

The program commits to educating the whole person, preparing young adults for independent living by integrating instruction in four areas:

• Functional academics
• Employment preparation
• Independent living skills
• Social Development 

The instructional approach at P.A.C.E. integrates both group and individual teaching across all areas of the students’ lives.  Instruction is based on the observation that students learn best when actively involved in the process and when teaching is linked directly to events and activities.

Functional Academics

P.A.C.E. students attend classes two days a week in an undergraduate university environment. Teaching and learning in a formal classroom are designed to present content and promote critical thinking skills in a structured environment. With guidance from P.A.C.E. instructors, students apply the concepts learned in the classroom to their personal situations, relationships, and routines outside of the classroom. P.A.C.E. classes serve as a space where students can discuss, role-play, and reflect upon their life-experiences, and practice their skills in new concepts. Problem-solving instruction across all areas of the program, facilitates P.A.C.E. students in becoming successful and independent problem-solvers in all aspects of their lives.

Course Sequences

1st Year: 

PAC 101A (F,W,S) Problem Solving
PAC 105A (F, W, S) Social Skills: Interpersonal Skills
PAC 110A (F, W, S) Goal Setting 1
PAC 115A (F, W, S) Employment Seminar 1
PAC 116A (F, W, S) Employment Experience 1
PAC 120A (F, W, S) Technology 1
PAC 125A (F, W, S) Health & Wellness 1
PAC 130A (F, W, S) Money Management 1
PAC 135A (F, W, S) Independent Living Skills 1
PAC 140A (F, W, S) Student Life 1

PAC 150B (F, W, S) Disability Awareness
PAC 110B (F, W, S) Goal Setting 2
PAC 115B (F, W, S) Employment Seminar 2
PAC 116B (F, W, S) Employment Experience 2
PAC 120B (F, W, S) Technology 2
PAC 125B (F, W, S) Health & Wellness 2
PAC 130B (F, W, S) Money Management 2
PAC 135B (F, W, S) Independent Living Skills 2
PAC 140B (F,W,S) Student Life 2

3rd Year:

PAC 110C (F, W, S) Goal Setting 3
PAC 115C (F, W, S) Employment Seminar 3
PAC 116C (F, W, S) Employment Experience 3
PAC 125C (F, W, S) Health & Wellness 3
PAC 130C (F, W, S) Money Management 3
PAC 135C (F, W, S) Independent Living Skills 3
PAC 140C (F,W,S) Student Life 3

Electives:

PAC 105 Social Thinking
PAC 145 Assertiveness Training
PAC 162 Food Handlers Certification 
PAC 163 Independent-Interdependent Living Skills
PAC 164 CPR / First Aid 
PAC 165 Business Application
PAC  168 Animal Care - Dogs
PAC 169 Animal Care - Cats
PAC 167 Childcare Health and Safety
PAC 161 Photovoice
PAC 160 Expressive Arts
PAC 166 Payment Processing & Customer Service

Certificate Tracks:

Students select a Certificate Track based on their internship placements and elective courses. Track certification requires at least 500 internship hours and 700 internship hours for honors certification. 

• Childcare
• Eldercare
• Business Administration
• Food Service
• Animal Caretaker
• Retail Operations
• Healthcare Operations 

Employment Preparation

P.A.C.E. students complete three internships to accumulate over 1000 hours of actual work experience.  They prepare for employment in fields such as child care, elder care, food service, office administration, health care, retail operations, and animal care. Employment skill development includes classroom instruction, workshops/trainings, as well as on-the-job coaching from supervisors and job coaches. All aspects of instruction are designed to help P.A.C.E. students find employment interests and skills to succeed in the world of work. The program operates from a base of more than 50 veteran career partners and continually recruits new contacts.

Independent Living Skills Instruction

Through one-on-one and small group instruction, students work towards the development and maintenance of core executive functioning skill sets. These skills include, money management, time management, hygiene management, medication management, meal planning and preparation, as well as cleaning skills. For this instruction, P.A.C.E. utilizes modern apartments as a classroom, which allows students to directly apply these skills where they live.

Socialization

Successful adults are socially responsible. At P.A.C.E. we hold our students to high standards to be successful at work, in the community and in their relationships. Students apply these skills in real-life situations in all P.A.C.E. learning environments, interacting with peers in the dorm, with coworkers and with the P.A.C.E. team on a daily basis. Planned activities that encourage social interaction and community engagement are an important part of P.A.C.E. at NLU. Students receive direct and guided instruction in improving their social skills and P.A.C.E. provides a unique real world arena for our students to put theory into practice every day. In addition, students learn to navigate means of public transportation to travel throughout their community.

Extended Programming

P.A.C.E. Ahead

P.A.C.E. Ahead is an apartment-style living experience designed to meet the transitional needs of P.A.C.E. NLU graduates. Young adults with multiple intellectual, learning and developmental disabilities can increase independence with support in personal and social development, employment, and independent living life skills.

P.A.C.E. Ahead provides apartment living for students who want to continue to increase independence, but are not ready to move into an apartment or return home.