The Professional Association of Cross-Cultural Consultants in Education

What The Professional Association of Cross-Cultural Consultants in Education does

PACE (The Professional Association of Cross-Cultural Consultants in Education) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 by Nancy Elwood and Melissa Shipman and headquartered in Cumming, Georgia, that provides professional training, certification, and a community of practice for Third Culture Kid (TCK) education consultants serving families living cross-culturally worldwide. The organization delivers a structured curriculum that begins with a three-part independent-study Level I Introduction to Education Consulting course (Parts I-III at $200 each) and advances to six annual Level II cohort courses (priced at $350 each with a $50 multi-course discount) covering specialized domains such as home education, multilingualism, special educational needs, and educational planning, culminating in an optional PACE Certification credential. Complementary offerings include the co-developed Education Planning for Families in Transition (EPFT) six-module course for mission-sending families, free periodic webinars on TCK-related topics, the annual MK Education Summit (MKES, formerly IMKEC) held near Atlanta with virtual access, free monthly Consultant-to-Consultant (C2C) small groups moderated via Google Meet, and annually curated resource lists on homeschooling, special needs, and online testing. PACE operates on a course-tuition-plus-donations revenue model, distributes content through a WordPress website with Stripe checkout and PayPal donation processing, communicates with subscribers via Constant Contact, and monetizes free community channels as top-of-funnel feeders into its paid certification track and downstream mission-agency partnerships.

Name

The Professional Association of Cross-Cultural Consultants in Education

Legal name

The Professional Association of Cross-Cultural Consultants in Education

Website

https://tckconsultant.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PACE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains, certifies, and supports Third Culture Kid education consultants worldwide through paid cohort courses, a multi-tier certification, free webinars and peer groups, and prefield education planning resources for missionary and cross-cultural families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Education and Training Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Parent & Caregiver Training for IEP Navigation (EDAKACAJ)

Keywords

• Cross-cultural education consulting
• TCK education training
• Education consultant certification
• Professional development courses
• Third culture kid education

Headquarters

HQ city

Cumming

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition Fees: Revenue from paid educational courses including Level I Introduction to Education Consulting at $200 per part and Level II courses at $350 each. A $50 discount is offered for consultants taking multiple courses in the same academic year.
2. Donations: PACE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that accepts tax-deductible donations through PayPal to support its mission of providing educational resources to families serving internationally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PACE is a nonprofit professional association that provides structured training, certification, and resources for TCK (Third Culture Kid) education consultants working with cross-cultural families internationally. Its core offering consists of a Level I Introduction to Education Consulting course (three parts at $200 each) and Level II advanced cohort courses ($350 each) covering home education, multilingualism, special needs, and coaching parents in education planning. The organization also delivers the Education Planning for Families in Transition (EPFT) course for families preparing for overseas service and awards PACE Certification to consultants who complete the full curriculum.

Product overview

PACE (The Professional Association of Cross-Cultural Consultants in Education) operates as a nonprofit professional association that offers a unified platform for training and certifying TCK education consultants. The core offering consists of the Introduction to Education Consulting (Level I) three-part course and advanced Level II courses offered annually in cohort format. Related products include the Education Planning for Families in Transition course for families preparing for overseas service, PACE Certification for professional distinction, periodic webinars featuring expert speakers, monthly Consultant-to-Consultant virtual groups for peer support, curated resource lists, and educational articles. PACE Professional Standards provide a foundational framework guiding all course and program development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Introduction to Education Consulting (Level I) A three-part independent study course providing a comprehensive overview of TCK education consulting, covering families of Third Culture Kids, TCK transitions, educational planning, consulting basics, helping families choose among options (home education, national schools, international schools), emerging skills and literacy, special needs, TCK and university prep/reentry, and maintaining expertise. Required prerequisite for all Level II courses and PACE Certification. $200 USD per part.
• Level II Cohort Courses Advanced online cohort courses offered once per year on specialized TCK education topics: Basics of Home Education (8 modules), TCKs and Multilingualism (6 modules), Special Educational Needs (5 modules), and Coaching Parents in Education Planning. Mandatory courses for PACE Certification include Special Educational Needs, Consulting Skills for Supporting TCK Parents, Early Learning and School Readiness for TCKs, and Educational Planning. $350 USD each with a $50 multi-course discount per academic year.
• Education Planning for Families in Transition (EPFT) A six-module online course for families preparing for overseas service, developed collaboratively with Interaction International. Includes facilitator training, agency customization options, and supports up to five families per cohort. Helps families develop personalized education plans for their children including school selection and curriculum planning.
• PACE Certification Professional certification awarded to TCK education consultants who complete Level I Introduction to Education Consulting (Parts I-III) and six Level II courses including the mandatory courses in Special Educational Needs, Consulting Skills for Supporting TCK Parents, Early Learning and School Readiness for TCKs, Educational Planning, and two elective courses. Includes exemption policies for prior experience or education.
• EPFT Facilitator Training Facilitator Training Courses offered several times per year for consultants and agency staff who guide families through the Education Planning for Families in Transition course. Mandatory for anyone guiding families through the course; free for consultants whose agency has committed to taking families through the course.

Quantifiable outcome

• PACE has trained education consultants since 2008, with the first course being a 12-week Introduction to Education Consulting
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SHARE Education ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHARE Education Services, based in Budapest, Hungary, is a key strategic partner for PACE. PACE co-founders Nancy Elwood and Melissa Shipman helped start SHARE in 1994. SHARE offers family education conferences in Hungary, Greece, southern Spain, and Central Asia. PACE recommends that agencies connect families with SHARE consultants and has partnered with SHARE and Interaction International to offer a unified prefield education planning experience.
• Interaction InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInteraction International partners with PACE to offer prefield education planning. In the past, Interaction offered in-person seminars taught by educators, while PACE offered an online course. In the last year, PACE and Interaction partnered together to offer one unified experience as an in-person 3-4 day retreat OR an online course involving the family's education consultant.
• SAFE (formerly AERC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAFE (formerly AERC) offers annual conferences in Thailand for families. They staff experienced educators who serve families across their region from many different sending agencies. SAFE also provides diagnostic testing services with educational psychologists available at conferences. PACE recommends that agencies refer families to SAFE when questions arise that are outside of their expertise or require specialized testing.
• Anchor EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnchor Education offers conferences in several countries in Africa. PACE recommends that agencies connect families with Anchor consultants when country/region-specific questions arise.
• Missio NexusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPACE led a webinar for Missio Nexus on the topic 'Can an Agency Achieve its Goals without Educational Support for Families?' to envision mission leaders to address education planning issues.
• KC360minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKC360 specializes in guiding third culture kids through the university/career preparation process. PACE recommends partnering with KC360 as one option for families preparing for whatever comes after high school.
• Greater Europe MissionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPACE leadership team member Kay Baker serves as Senior Regional Leader for Greater Europe Mission. Nancy Elwood helps appointee families within Greater Europe Mission plan for the cross-cultural education of their children.
• I-TECminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerri Harmon's husband currently ministers with I-TEC in Pennsylvania which helps missions worldwide with their electrical needs. Terri helps with their website and newsletters.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SAFE (formerly AERC): Annual conferences in Thailand staffed by experienced educators serving missionary families across regions; also delivers diagnostic testing by educational psychologists. PACE formally recommends SAFE when families need testing or specialized support beyond consultant expertise.
• Interaction International: Nonprofit focused on TCK (formerly MK/ Missionary Kid) support, identity development, and family transitions. PACE and Interaction International partner to deliver a unified prefield education planning experience — overlapping mission and customer base of missionary and cross-cultural families.
• SHARE Education Services: Budapest-based nonprofit serving the same TCK/Third Culture Kid population that PACE certifies consultants for. SHARE provides direct consulting to families across Europe and Eurasia while PACE trains the consultants — the two organizations are intertwined at the leadership level (PACE co-founder Nancy Elwood is SHARE's Executive Director) and jointly deliver prefield education planning.
• KC360: Specializes in guiding TCKs through university admissions, career planning, and re-entry transitions — exactly the 'transition-to-college' segment PACE serves in its Level II coaching courses. PACE formally recommends KC360 as a downstream partner for families finishing their consulting engagement.

Broad incumbents

• ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International): Larger established Christian education organization that hosted PACE's first in-person course at its ICEC conference in Germany. ACSI serves a much broader constituency (member schools globally) and provides professional development for educators — overlapping customer base of Christian educators.
• Missio Nexus: Mission agency leadership network for which PACE has delivered a webinar on educational support for missionary families. Missio Nexus addresses a much broader mission-leadership audience than PACE but is a channel and customer overlap in mission-driven educational services.

Emerging players

• TCK Training Center (Intercultural Studies program): Provides training and resources specifically for TCK support workers, educators, and parents. Comparable niche focus but broader on the support/trauma side and less specialized on the consulting certification that is PACE's core.
• Cairn University TCK Education Department: Cairn University offers formal academic programs in TCK education (PACE Leadership Team member Judy Severns is adjunct faculty there). Represents an academic-degree pathway for TCK educators that could partially substitute for or complement PACE's certification.

Regional players

• Anchor Education: Provides conferences and education consultancy for missionary families in several African countries. PACE directs agencies and families to Anchor when country/region-specific African questions arise — comparable mission, narrower regional focus.

Others

• IDEA (Intercultural Development Education Association): Intercultural Development Inventory community of certified practitioners and educators. Addressable audience and channel for cross-cultural training tools, but not a direct competitor — comparable in serving the intercultural professional development market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tckconsultant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Professional Association of Cross-Cultural Consultants in Education