Introducing our newest member of the PALS team, Molly McCue!
Molly recently joined the PALS staff as the Operations Manager. In this role, she will oversee all aspects of camp operations, ensuring each program runs smoothly and efficiently!
At PALS Programs, our mission is to create inclusive camp experiences for young people with and without Down syndrome. We believe that everyone deserves the chance to form meaningful connections, gain independence, and have fun in a supportive and joyful environment. To ensure our camps remain accessible, we are proud to offer a comprehensive financial aid program that makes these transformative experiences available to anyone, regardless of financial circumstances.
We’re thrilled to announce the newest additions to the PALS staff team—our very first Residents! This new residency is a one year opportunity for emerging professionals to work closely with our team and gain firsthand experience in nonprofit management, diversity & inclusion, and career development.
I’ve never been good at juggling… Or so I thought? After being a Program Lead, I learned that juggling several commitments is manageable with a little bit of planning and all of your heart. If you’ve been thinking about trying something new, take that chance! It may turn into magic!
While the federal calendar marks the second Monday in October as Christopher Columbus Day, many calendars, possibly even your own, recognize it as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a time to recognize and honor the diverse histories and cultures of the peoples on whose land we are living.
In preparation for summer 2022, PALS staff are working hard towards accreditation for all of our programs with the American Camp Association (ACA). The ACA is ”a community of camp professionals who, for over 100 years, have joined together to share our knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs.”
Shining light on situations like these help us all to know where we have room for growth. At PALS, we realize how important it is to continue to do this kind of work. By sharing my story, I hope it helps to prevent things like this from happening in the future. At the end of the day no one is perfect, but we must all do our part to understand one another and to make sure we are providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone which PALS is focused on doing year round.
After launching PALS Affinity Groups in March, we wanted to create a space specifically for individuals with Down syndrome in the PALS community to discuss their shared experiences, triumphs, and challenges beyond programs. Thanks to the help of Sam and Zoe, co-facilitators, we are introducing a Self Advocate Affinity Group!
PALS is committed to increasing access to our programs so that more people from diverse backgrounds have the opportunity to experience the magic of PALS. However, in order to do this, it is important that we consider not only one identity such as gender or race, but other identities such as age, class, religion, and combinations of these identities and other identities and their impacts as we grow.
A group of students from Salesianum School, in Delaware, created fundraising pages for PALS and raised $2,495. Thank you so much to Kian, Evan, Ryan, Dylan, Connor, Abel, and Joseph for your fundraising efforts! We asked them to reflect on their experience and why they decided to fundraising for PALS as high school students. Here is what Connor and Kian shared on behalf of the group.
In May 2020 PALS made a public statement on Black Lives Matter. It has been over a year since I posted that blog and it is time to share an update. Our work at PALS to build a more equitable and inclusive organization goes far beyond a public statement, and as we mark some progress we also know we have so far to go.
