History of the P.A.C.E. Program

The catalyst of the creation of the P.A.C.E. program in 1986 was a request Robert Harth, Ed.D. received from special education teachers at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. The teachers told Harth, who was then the chair of the Department of Special Education at NLU, that they were concerned because their students had limited postsecondary options after they graduated.

Funded initially by the Pinkerton Foundation and modeled after the work of Judith Krames, director of the Para-Educator Center at New York University, Harth, founded what is today the P.A.C.E. program—and served as its first director from 1986 until 1997. Carol Burns, who served as the assistant director for 10 years, assumed the position of director following Harth’s retirement from the position.

P.A.C.E. is considered one of the leading models of postsecondary education in the world for young men and women with multiple learning disabilities. More than 200 students have graduated from the program since it was established.

History of National-Louis University

In late nineteenth century Chicago, two extraordinary women with vision, a passion for education and a determination to make a difference in the lives of our children laid the foundation for what is today National-Louis University (NLU).

Urban education pioneer and community activist Elizabeth Harrison, together with Edna Dean Baker, created a modern university-one with deep roots in Chicago and a reputation that today extends far beyond the borders of the city it calls home.

NLU is a university committed to innovation and best practices in urban teaching and graduate education. A university that excels in creating learning communities where adult students thrive. A university with a history of access to higher education for first-generation and minority students who go on to make a difference at their jobs and in their communities. A university proud to call Chicago home.

About NLU:

• Private, non-profit, non-denominational
• History of progressive, student-centered education
• Colleges: 3
  • National College of Education
  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • College of Management and Business
• National Rankings: NLU ranks 7th: number of master's degrees awarded in education (National Center for Education Statistics)
• Regional Rankings: 2008 U.S. News and World Report
  • NLU ranks 3rd for small class size.
  • Percent of NLU classes with fewer than 20 students: 91%
• State Rankings: NLU ranks 1st:number of graduate degrees in education conferred (IPEDS: Three-year period from 2003-2005)
• Golden Apple Award winners: 34. The Golden Apple Foundation honors Chicago-area classroom teachers each year with the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching