Peers are paired one-to-one with a Partner who has Down syndrome. Peers can apply to join PALS starting at high school age (approximately 15). Peers are full participants at PALS programs and serve as peer models for their partner and team. Peers participate in all activities and help model the PALS values by being welcoming, fun, genuine, supportive, and passionate.

Our programs take place on college campuses across the country. We have 10 regions in which we focus our programming.

Specific locations for the 2025 season are coming soon!

In order to be eligible to come to camp as a Peer, an individual must:

-Meet the minimum age requirements for their program by the start of their program
-Stay on-site for the duration of the program
-Independently handle all hygiene and personal care needs, and model appropriate behavior for their Partner and team
-Fully participate in all PALS activities and model participation as well as inclusion for their pair and teammates
-Demonstrate kindness and respect towards others, embodying the PALS promise and PALS values and supporting all teammates in achieving this goal
-Receive support as needed from Team Lead and other volunteer leaders

No prior experience is required as long as all eligibility requirements are met. We ask that each peer volunteer arrive onsite with a willingness to learn and grow and enjoy a week of camp alongside their Partner.

The Peer application for summer 2025 will open on January 1, 2025!

For new Peers, an informal interview-style New Participant Call will take place with a PALS Staff member or Welcome Lead. We want to get to know you and your personality, and answer any questions you may have!

If you have attended a PALS Program in the past, you do not have to complete an interview.

PALS Staff will send you an email within 3 weeks of your application date to update you on your application status.

Don’t fear! Keep an eye on your email, we’ll reach out to you if a spot becomes available. PALS recommends participants do not delay submitting their application to attend camp in order to snag a spot!

There are no costs for Peers to volunteer with PALS. Everything including room, board, trips, food, and activities is covered. The only cost for Peers is travel to and from the program at the start and end, though PALS offers travel scholarships and does not want cost to be a barrier to anyone's participation.

For 7 days and 6 nights, PALS participants engage in unique on-campus activities, explore the local sights, and experience life on a college campus – all the while building transformative, lifelong friendships and learning the true meaning of inclusion. Click here to view a sample schedule.

For our modified 21+ programs, participants arrive on Wednesday and stay through Sunday. We still engage in three days of off-campus activities as well as unique on-campus fun!

We typically do not encourage peers to attend more than one program, as we want to share this experience with as many unique individuals as possible. However, we will assess peers attending more than one program on a case-by-case basis.

Each camp location has a camp-specific page filled with details! Once you are enrolled in a program, we will send you the link and password. On this page you will find general details about your program and closer to your program it will also list schedule and pairings.

It takes many people and months of planning to make our programs happen. We ask that once you have committed to your spot this summer, you do not cancel. However, we understand that unavoidable circumstances may make it difficult to attend. In that case, please let the PALS Staff know as soon as possible. We would also encourage you to fill your slot with a new Peer if possible so camp can run at the same number as planned.

Vaccination

PALS strongly recommends all participants are fully up to date with COVID vaccinations, per CDC guidelines. Research and data continue to show that COVID vaccines reduce the severity of symptoms, which is especially important for those individuals with Down syndrome who can be considered a high-risk population with compromised immune systems. We encourage all PALS families to review this resource prepared by Dr. Brian Skotko and the Massachusetts General Hospital to learn more about the research related to COVID and individuals with Down syndrome.

Note: PALS continues to require all other vaccinations to be up-to-date for participants in PALS programs, especially TDAP and Meningococcal.

Testing

At this time, PALS does not have a testing requirement for 2025 summer programs.

Please note that these policies may be updated at any time.

At every program, all medications, vitamins, and supplements will be collected by the Medical Team or PALS staff for secure storage. This includes all medications (prescription or over-the-counter), and any vitamins or supplements that will be taken during the program. Participants will be able to access their medication at the appropriate time. The Medical Team will support administration.

*ALL MEDICATIONS, VITAMINS, AND SUPPLEMENTS MUST BE IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINER* In summer 2025, we will not accept any medications, vitamins, or supplements that do not meet these requirements.

Yes, for summer in-person programs, all participants must submit a physician’s examination that is dated within one year prior to the program start date.

We take time to review all of the information we have gathered on each individual from their forms, from conversations, and, for returning participants, what we know from previous programs. We then match individuals with another participant whom we believe will be a good match. We consider factors such as age, gender, personality type, energy level, pairing requests, support needed, and whether the participant is new or returning, among other things, when making pairings.

Teams are made up of four of five pairs of participants and are led by a highly trained Team Lead. Teams are based on age primarily, and then we consider similar factors to those considered when making pairs in order to build balanced teams. All of our teams are all gender.

“Dorm room” = space where one or more individual beds are located.

“Quadruple room” = space where four individual beds are located.

“Suite” = larger space with a common area and several dorm rooms leading off from it. Suites typically also have at least one private bathroom/shower area.

Include rooming based on pairings, pairings based on preferences in CD, likes and dislikes, age, etc

In the CampDoc forms completed before camp, every participant (Partner and Peer) has the opportunity to indicate their preferences relating to the gender of the person with whom they will be sharing a dorm room. PALS will respect these choices and only place individuals in dorm rooms with other participants who align with the gender identity/identities of individuals selected in these forms. Note that there may be times when suites with separate dorm rooms with locking doors and private bathrooms are shared by people of different genders.

Volunteer Leaders will never share a dorm room with participants. However, in rare cases, volunteer leaders may share a suite or quadruple room with at least two participants.

Yes! PALS will verify up to 100 hours of community service. You can email support@palsprograms.org after your program to request verification.