Over 34 years of making a difference

P.A.C.E. at NLU

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. Hundreds of students have graduated from the program since it was established in 1986.

The P.A.C.E. program was developed by the then Department of Special Education Chairman, Robert Harth, Ed.D., in response to a group New Trier High School special education teachers looking for postsecondary options for their students. Harth modeled the program after the work of Judith Krames, Director of the Para-Educator Center at New York University, and served as the program’s first Director from 1986-1997.

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.