Have you heard the news?! PALS is hosting an exciting campaign for a LIMITED time where YOU could earn your favorite Starbucks drink.

We are so excited to onboard this year’s Leadership Team. And, we are excited to announce that we officially have our 2022 Program Leads! These 32 individuals will be the creatives behind our most fun, inclusive and memorable programs yet!

Celebrating Black History Month is about honoring diversity. At PALS we work to build a world of belonging for all people. This means that we observe and celebrate differences, not that we ignore them and pretend like all people are the same.

We often ask members of our PALS Family "Why PALS?" to learn how our mission has impacted their lives. This month, we hear Rosemary's story. Rosemary has been a paired participant and volunteer leader and is currently a member of the PALS Staff Team!

On Tuesday, December 28, 2021, Grant McDermott passed away unexpectedly. He was 19. Grant, and his siblings, have volunteered at PALS for many years. This is a huge loss to the PALS family and to the world. Our deepest condolences go out to the McDermott family and friends.

What a year 2021 has been! From starting the year off with the one-of-a-kind Escape from Polar Palace event at PALS to finishing the year with our virtual New Year’s Eve party, we have found new and creative ways to gather as a community in an ever-changing year.

As 2021 comes to a close, we at PALS are so grateful for the generosity of our community this entire year. While adapting our programs due to COVID-19, we continued to see the support of our community in supporting our mission to inspire a world of belonging.

We are so excited to be returning to in-person camps this year, and with that comes another exciting new change: this year we are switching over to a new application system! As we continue to grow, CampDoc will be able to grow with us.

As an organization that highlights volunteer-led programs, our volunteer leaders are the backbone of our organization. They are the creatives, the supporters, the advocates, and the builders that help actualize our mission in the most tangible and meaningful ways.

We often ask members of the PALS Family “Why PALS?” to learn how our mission has impacted their lives. This month, we hear Sarah’s story. Sarah is a parent, donor, and the newest member of the PALS Board!

As we look forward to Summer 2022, we are excited to bring back the PALS model - week-long programs at our host universities with on-campus activities and trips in the local area. Explore what a day at PALS looks like as Lauren describes her week at Philadelphia in 2019. We can’t wait to see you in 2022!

This past month the PALS staff spent time learning about and discussing cultural appropriation and appreciation. While always relevant, this was a particularly good topic to discuss in advance of Halloween and all the diverse holidays coming up as a way to be more intentional and aware of our biases and perspectives.

To further our commitment to creating a world of belonging, we are welcoming Jo to our team as the Advancement Manager at PALS. Jo will be working closely with the team to build up our fundraising operation and develop relationships with partners across the country.

We often ask members of our PALS Family "Why PALS?" to learn how our mission has impacted their lives. This month, we hear Tom's story. Tom is a parent and medical volunteer at PALS!

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.