PACER Puppets

PACER's puppet shows are meant to be entertaining as well as educational. The hope is that children will identify with the puppets and then interact with them through questions and dialogue.

In 1979, the PACER Puppets, a multicultural cast representing children with various disabilities, were introduced to classrooms of kindergarten through fourth grade students. The puppets, each a work of handcrafted art, were created as a teaching tool to educate children about their peers with disabilities and to assist schools in efforts to implement programmes of inclusion. The puppets come to life through the puppetry techniques of trained volunteers.

Specifically, the COUNT ME IN shows range from 35 minutes to one hour, depending on the age of the students, and typically include scripts on blindness, deafness, spina bifida or cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome. Supplementary scripts on a variety of other disabilities have also been developed. The KIDS AGAINST BULLYING puppet programme is designed to help children and adults learn about bullying prevention. This show helps students learn ways to respond if they're being bullied, how to help if they see someone being bullied and, most importantly, that no one ever deserves to be bullied. It is approximately 35 minutes long and is designed for children in grades 1-3. The LET'S PREVENT ABUSE puppet project was added in 1984 because of awareness that people with disabilities are more vulnerable to maltreatment. In this show, which lasts about 35 minutes and is designed for children in grades 1-4, the puppets talk to students about child abuse and safety skills, stressing the fact that abuse is never the child's fault.

Children, Rights.

Founded in 1977, PACER Center was created by parents of children and youth with disabilities to help other parents and families facing similar challenges. Its mission is to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents helping parents.

Please note: "PACER Center expressly reserves all rights in its works of authorship which include, but are not limited to, the puppets and scripts, and none of PACER Center's copyrighted works may be reproduced, distributed or translated without express written permission of PACER Center. © PACER Center, Inc.,"