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!
I joined PALS during a transition period in my life. I had just moved five hours away from home and entered a new graduate program, unsure how to find my place. I was looking for ways to engage with my community and remembered a friend posting about PALS and decided to check it out. Stepping onto Cabrini’s campus for my first program, I felt at home.
As an organization serving individuals with Down syndrome and their peers, we at PALS look for opportunities to connect and engage with the larger Down syndrome community across the globe. At the start of March, members of the PALS Staff team attended the Annual Leadership Conference hosted by Down Syndrome Affiliates In Action.
One of the greatest benefits of being an ACA-accredited camp is access to a wide network of resources and opportunities that enable us to further our mission by connecting with and learning from other camps and industry leaders. This year, our Recruitment Coordinator, Lauren Gibeault, and our Program Coordinator, Kirsty McDonald, attended the American Camp Association’s National Conference in Orlando, FL. The focus of the conference was “Building Communities of Belonging,” which aligns perfectly with our mission to “inspire a world of belonging”.
This WDSD, I am celebrating all of the amazing gifts we've been given as a result of having Gabby and being introduced to this amazing community of people. Gifts such as true friendship, compassion, patience, laughter, and living in the moment. Our lives are so much richer because of Down syndrome. Through PALS, Gabby was able to have the absolute time of her life and create long-lasting bonds last summer in San Francisco.
At PALS, our mission is to create inclusive camp experiences for individuals with Down syndrome and their peers. We know the impact and power behind one-to-one friendships that are created in the week-long experience during the summer. As a sibling of someone with Down syndrome, this is why I initially gravitated towards PALS.
Black History Month provides us with an additional opportunity to reflect on the diversity of our community and the value that comes from the many identities we all share. This month in particular is a time to honor the rich history, contributions, and experiences of Black Americans. In our mission to inspire a world of belonging for all, celebrating diversity and inclusion becomes core to our work and impact as an organization.
The primary focus of PALS will always be our week-long summer camps with all the trimmings: one-to-one pairings, karaoke and dance parties, fun off-campus adventures, and of course PALS Olympics. But the PALS Magic is something that keeps us going all year round. We wanted to create spaces where our friends, both old and new, could get a little taste of that Magic while summer still felt far away. So we tried something new: PALS Pop-ups.
At PALS, we have heard the sentiment many times before- "I wouldn't be where I am today without my summers at PALS," or "the trajectory of my career completely shifted after spending a week at PALS," or "the memories from PALS are some of the best of my life." But what is it about a week-long experience at PALS that fulfills our mission of changing attitudes, transforming lives, and inspiring a world of belonging? Many of us enter thinking we are here to volunteer and change lives, and likely we will, but we leave with far more.
A few times a year, the staff at PALS have an opportunity to meet with one another to build team and work together to improve our programming. This past December, the team convened in Baltimore, Maryland, where we spent 3 days getting to know each other and collaborating on ways to work better together.
