The PaCE Program is a community driven program which focuses on the development and implementation of creative and innovative approaches to improve the educational outcomes of Indigenous school students through enhancing Indigenous parental¹ engagement with schools and education providers.

The PaCE Program supports Indigenous families and communities to ‘reach-in’ to schools and education providers and to develop partnerships with them with the aim of enhancing their children’s educational outcomes.

PACE projects

• Joanne makes a difference in Gilles Plains, City North Messenger, 29 March 2011.
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• Knights program to benefit youth, Hunter Valley News, February 16 2011.
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• Providing new opportunities, Gloucester Advocate, 16 March 2011.
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• Parents learn how to get more out of school, ABC News Online, 31 January 2011.
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• Big Day at Cherbourg, The Koori Mail, 9 February 2011.
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• Programs engage region, Burnie Advocate, 13 October 2009.
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• Reading at Erambie, The Koori Mail (editorial).
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• PaCE brings families closer to their schools, South Burnett Times, 25 January 2011.
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• Keeping PaCE of education, Balonne Beacon, 5 August 2010.
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• Indigenous parents take on MARVIN, Gympie Times, 10/8/2010.
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Below is a video link of a PaCE DVD.

• Lyrebird Preschool, 'Its OK to say Goodbye', launched 23 February 2011.

Objectives

The main objectives of the PaCE Program are to enhance the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to:

• engage with schools and education providers in order to support improved educational outcomes for their children
  
• build strong leadership that supports high expectations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ educational outcomes
  
• support the establishment, implementation and/or ongoing progress of community-school partnership agreements; and
  
• support and reinforce children’s learning at home.

Target groups

The PaCE Program is targeted to parents of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school aged children (generally ages 0-19) and Indigenous communities.

Reach In/Reach Out

This diagram shows how the PaCE Program aims for the parents/caregivers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and community members to reach in to schools to develop partnerships with them in order to improve the educational outcomes of their children.

PaCE Guidelines

The revised Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 Program Guidelines 2009-2012  have been approved by the Expenditure Review Committee on 25 May 2010. 

The PaCE Program is one of sixteen targeted programs covered in the Guidelines. 

Specific information regarding the PaCE Program can be found at section 3.12.1 (pages 165 – 179).  Appendix A + B relate to projects that can be funded as well as Performance Indicators and can be found at pages 222 – 226.

• ( PDF 1.5MB | RTF 1.5MB)

PaCE Brochure

For further information about the program download the Brochure below:

• PaCE Brochure( PDF 4.3MB | RTF 51KB)

DEEWR’s Role

DEEWR’s primary role in the PaCE Program is to facilitate the following processes:

• engage with stakeholders (parents, community members or organisations) to
  determine the need for and outcomes of projects
• assist stakeholders in preparing a PaCE project template
  
• prepare a proposal brief for the delegate
  
• advise funding recipients of delegate’s decision
  
• prepare Funding Agreements/schedules and negotiate performance indicators
  
• review and monitor milestone activity, and
  
• ensure funding recipients have complied with reporting and acquittal requirements

Stakeholder Roles

There will be a number of different stakeholders involved in each PaCE project, including parents/caregivers, community members, organisations, etc. To see the roles of parents/caregivers or organisations click on their respective pages below.

If you are the parent/caregiver of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child and want to know more information about the PaCE Program, see the information for parents/caregivers page.

If you are part of an organisation and interested in partnering with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander parent/caregivers in the development of a PaCE Project, see the information for organisations page.

Want more information on PaCE?

For more information regarding the PaCE Program read the PaCE section of the IETA Guidelines above, or call 1800 800 821 and ask to speak with your local PaCE Officer.

¹ Wherever the terms parent or parental are used they should be taken to include caregivers