If your child struggled last year, and this year is already looking like trouble, have a look, or anoth­er look, at PACE.

After one year of PACE, Accomplished Learning Centre (ALC) surpassed PACE’s 2001 study involving 113 PACE training centres. Lisa and Ross work­ed hard for that and are very pleased with the results. (Details of abilities included in these results are available upon request.)

Many of Accomplished Learning Centre’s clients finished PACE in late spring or during the summer so they are just now getting to use their developed skills for school. School has only been back in for a few weeks but previous clients and their parents are already reporting amazing changes over previous years. These changes include: attitude about going to school, attitude about homework, reductions in time needed to complete homework, less homework as more work is completed in class, better at the entire spectrum of school subjects, school is easier, and the list goes on. It doesn’t need to be another bad year. PACE really does make the difference.

Working With the Girls: Lisa Pearson

Lisa was a corporate trainer and computer support person. Upon moving to Mission from Vancouver in 1988, she opened Mission Accomplished Training & Development Centre, a computer and business school.

Always looking for new and better ways to reach those students who struggled through the learning process, Lisa researched ways to help challenged learn­ers and became certified in Structure of Intellect (SOI) and Educational Sensory Inte­gration (ESI). She incorporated these methods into her regular business/com­pu­ter course and saw her students improve with respect to their learning speed and comprehension. She took the Fundamentals of Dyslexia Correction train­ing from Davis Dyslexia Association in order to better understand and help her dyslexic students.

Armed with a number of proven programs, Lisa developed and implemented LEAP (Learning Enhance­ment & Assessment Program) for adults with learning disabilities.

The program was extremely rewarding as Lisa saw her adult students’ lives being transformed. As their learning abilities improved, so did their confidence and competence. In January 2004, Lisa closed the computer school and relocated the LEAP program to smaller premises next door.

In July of that year, while researching the correlation between substance abuse and learn­ing disabilities, Lisa accidentally discovered PACE. PACE seem­ed to address areas that other programs were missing, like auditory processing, phonemic awareness, and processing speed. PACE was intense and fun! It looked too good to be true.

Lisa called PACE providers throughout North America. Some of the larger clinics used 20 or more methods and every one of them considered PACE to be among the best.

After taking the PACE training in Colorado and using it with several of her adult students, Lisa was completely convinced of PACE’s quality. Not only did it do what was claimed… it was fun!

Mission Accomplished Services changed again… focussing on children rather than adults. A name change to Accomplished Learning Centre more close­ly identified the goals of Lisa and the business, and renovations made the place more kid-friendly. Accomplished Learning Centre is now one of Canada’s largest PACE providers.

Lisa has always been committed to helping others overcome adversity. In 1992 she received the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, “in recognition of her significant contribution to compatriots, community and to Canada.” She is listed in the Canadian Who’s Who as one of Canada’s most influential people, has been featured on Venture (a television show that looks at unique Canadian entrepreneurs), and was a cover story in Business in Vancouver magazine.

Lisa is a member of Mensa (an international high-IQ society). The purpose of Mensa is “to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity, to encourage research in the nature, characteristics, and the uses of intelligence, and to provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members.”

Working With the Boys: Ross Pearson

Ross has been working with youth since 1978 when he volunteered with the Hillside Boys and Girls Club teaching leatherwork and photography. He later became president of the club.

In 1981 he joined the Kinsmen Club of White Rock where he received the Outstanding Maple Leaf Award and went on to become President of that club. During his term with the Kinsmen, Ross was instrumental in raising funds to benefit youth.

After that, Ross served for 14 years with Scouts Canada. He was a Beaver, Cub, Scout and Venturer Leader, Assistant District Commissioner, District Commissioner, and Senior Trainer. He sat on the Regional Honours and Awards Committee. Among numerous other awards Ross received from Scouts Canada, he was award­ed the prestigious Medal of Merit and the Bar to the Medal of Merit.

Ross worked for a year as a Child Care Worker, helping and guiding youth with learning disabilities, and troubles at home or with the law. He ran a therapeutic foster home where he helped 15 at-risk children over a six-year period.

Lisa’s work interested Ross and so he took the Davis Dyslexia Correction training and later the PACE training. Ross joined the business on a full-time basis earlier this year, glad to put away his wrenches and no longer be a mechanic (automotive, diesel, marine, and heavy duty equipment).

Ross and Lisa

Ross and Lisa met in 2002 while they were both volunteers in the Alpha program through Northview Community Church, where they are both members. They were married in January 2003. Ross is actively involved in the church’s Men’s Ministry, and they are coordinators for the church’s Care Line. Lisa and Ross share a mutual interest in helping those who struggle in this world: spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually.

Ross has two sons aged 22 and 18. The 18-year-old is in university where he is the youngest person ever to be accepted into their classical voice program. He has ambitions of becoming a professional opera singer. The 22-year-old is married, works in the construction industry, and is a Cub Leader. His wife works for her family’s sign company where she made the arrows and coloured words that decorate Accomplished Learning Centre’s walls.

Lisa raised her son as a single parent. He is now 21-years-old and works in construction. He recently returned from a five-month long back­pack­ing trip around Europe and Northern Africa.
Enjoying the “empty nesters” lifestyle, Ross and Lisa spend their free time camping, fishing, and geocaching (see www.geocaching.com).