WORDS: Gabrielle Versmessen
First opening its doors in 1989, Pace Center for Girls was established in Manatee County and has since served over 1,500 girls locally. They provide holistic social, academic, and career-building services for middle and high-school-aged girls who have fallen behind in their academics for a myriad of reasons.
Their first facility was located on Manatee Avenue with two portables in the back. Then, in 1995, they built a 7,000-square-foot building on 26th Street and moved into it the following year. According to Amy Wick Mavis, who has been with Pace since 1996 and is now the Executive Director, there were only 10 computers in that facility!
But they’ve come a long way since then. The family that owned the land next to Pace had lived there since 1965, and they were ready to part with it. So, Pace bought the land in 2015 with the plans to build a whole new facility. Last July, thanks to the late Paul Sharff, they moved into an 8,000-square-foot spare building that Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School was able to offer them. The building was used as Saint Stephen’s middle school until 2010, so it was conveniently outfitted with classrooms.
“We called Paul wondering if the Early Learning Coalition had any extra space we could move into while we waited on construction. Paul Sharff, rainmaker that he was, said that he did not, but his church did,” Amy explained.
The late Father Baker saw the vision that the church could be so much more, and the space upstairs is something that the church could offer to the community to bring more people to the church. The vision is that once Pace is done utilizing the space, the church will figure out a way to market it to the community to bring even more life to the church.
Currently in the zoning and permitting stage, the new Pace building will be 17,000 square feet. It will be able to offer more classrooms, conference rooms, and office space, with a full industrial kitchen and a clinic, office, and restroom for the nurse’s office.
Amy said: “We know girls go home for being sick often. A lot of the time, these girls go home unsupervised. We’ll be able to partner with our families regarding what they want to help keep their daughters in school. A headache will go away, and they won’t be losing a whole day of school when they’re already behind to begin with.”
The ability to have a full industrial kitchen allows Pace to become its own national school lunch program and can feed the girls meals while they’re attending school. Many of their girls struggle with having enough to eat. It’s important to Amy and her team to fulfill this basic need for them so the girls can focus on their education.
Another opportunity Pace will have at the new building is to have offices for interns. Creating more office space allows more volunteers, counselors, and teachers to come in. The entire facility will also be fenced in to increase the students’ safety with electric doors and increased security. There could even be a potential GED or overaged middle school class. But Amy says they have to assess the needs of the community first so that they’re able to serve more girls and those whom they aren’t able to serve currently.
A fun aspect of the current Pace Center is the “Corner Cottage.” The girls receive a point sheet for making responsible choices in class. These points turn into currency, and the girls can shop for tangible items once a month. These items can range from clothing to school supplies to cute home decorations. During Christmas time, they turn it into a Christmas shop where the girls can shop for their families! In the new facility, the “Corner Cottage” will be larger. It is funded strictly through grants, volunteers, and donations.
Since Pace’s students are in middle and high school, they are usually dropped off by their parents in the morning or take public transportation. In a county as big as ours, there may be girls in Myakka or Lakewood Ranch who can’t physically get to the facility. This is why Pace will be implementing its REACH program. The REACH Program meets the girls where they are. They can stay in their school settings, but Pace brings therapists, counselors, and wrap-around services to them during regular and after-school hours.
“We recognize that there are girls who are doing quite well in school but still need the extra support, too,” Amy explained.
The average Pace girl is about two years behind in her academics when she arrives. They work with any girl in Manatee County between the ages of 11 and 18 and have three of the five risk factors. Those can be mental health, family instability, etc. Most of their girls live with their families who are struggling for whatever reason.
“Foster care girls are a great avenue for Pace because we then become part of a care team and can provide stability for them,” Amy said.
Pace girls attend their core Math, English, Social Studies, and Science classes, and all students are in a reading class as well. Additionally, Pace has its “Spirited Girls” curriculum. According to Amy, it’s a life skills and responsible decision-making course where every girl learns fundamental vocational traits.
Currently, Pace Manatee serves 59 girls, but with the addition of more classroom space, they’ll be able to serve 10 to 14 more. Having a high standard for educational excellence, Pace will increase its support and counseling services, have its REACH program, and provide more help to the girls’ transition services as they return to their public schools. However, the girls will still be able to come back to get help at the center, like computerized learning or tutoring.
“At Pace, we say that we believe in every girl until she can believe in herself,” said Amy.
The purpose of Pace Center for Girls is to provide a safe and supportive environment for girls to build healthy relationships, plan for their future, and overcome histories of trauma. As a result of Pace, eight in ten girls improved academically, nine in ten strengthened or maintained self-efficacy, and nine in ten are engaged in their community, measured by being enrolled in school, high education, or employment. And with their new center, expected to be built next year, Pace Manatee will be able to reach even more girls than ever before, building up our community one girl at a time.
