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 4 regions in which we focus our programming—Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast.

Check out the Summer 2026 dates and locations here.

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.

For new Peers, an informal interview-style New Participant Call will take place with a PALS Staff member. 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, or completed a New Participant call last season before being placed on the waitlist, 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.

Apply Now!

PALS strives to create an equitable and transparent enrollment process and is committed to building communities of PALS participants representing a diverse set of backgrounds in each of our locations. Our strategic plan leads our efforts to build inclusive PALS communities - where the demographics of our participants reflect the local demographics of that area - in each of our key regions.

While we encourage everyone to apply as early as possible, our selection process is not strictly first-come, first-served. In line with our commitment to creating inclusive camp experiences for all, we consider a range of elements to ensure that every participant can thrive at PALS. In addition to considering factors such as the time that your application is submitted, we also consider age range, previous PALS engagement, and proximity to the community where our program operates. We also place a strong emphasis on demographics and strive to prioritize the inclusion of underrepresented groups. By intentionally considering these factors, we aim to foster a well-rounded, equitable camp experience that reflects the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and needs of all our participants.

Placements are confirmed on a rolling two-week basis as space permits beginning in January.

Don’t fear! Keep an eye on your email, we’ll reach out to you if a spot becomes available. There is often movement on the waitlist, so if possible, please keep your camp week open as long as you can. PALS staff will contact you immediately if a space opens up.

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. PALS offers travel scholarships for travel to the nearest program and never wants cost to be a barrier to 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. Planning and purchasing for our programs begin months in advance, and we strive to be good stewards of our resources. For this reason, any cancellations after June 1 will incur a $50 cancellation fee to help cover program costs.

We understand that unavoidable circumstances may make it difficult to attend. In that case, please let the PALS Staff know as soon as possible to aid in our planning process. 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.

PALS can support gluten free, dairy free, vegan and vegetarian diets. If you have other dietary requirements, please reach out to support@palsprograms.org to discuss. 

Please note that PALS does not prepare any food in-house and so all of the meals served at PALS are provided by outside caterers and restaurants. This means that, while we communicate requirements to all vendors, we cannot absolutely guarantee that meals are free from the top nine allergens or from cross contamination with these allergens. If your dietary requirements mean you are sensitive to cross contamination, please reach out to support@palsprograms.org to discuss.

At every weeklong program, all medications, vitamins, and supplements will be collected by the Medical Team or PALS staff for secure storage. Participants will be able to access their medication at the appropriate time. The Medical Team will support the administration.

At weeklong programs, PALS will only accept medication with a prescription or other evidence from a medical professional that there is a medical indication for the participant taking a medication at camp. This means that over-the-counter vitamins, supplements, or as-needed medications without a prescription or note from a licensed prescriber cannot remain on-site or will be stored with medical staff but not administered. 

Medications must be in their original container with prescription information, or in a dose pack with prescription information from a pharmacy (example: SimpleDose from CVS, AccuPac, or MedPack).

At 21+ modified programs, participants are responsible for administering and storing their own medications. Medications may be brought in any container that would work best—original pill bottles, personal pill organizer, etc. If medications are not in their original containers, we ask that you include identifying information so we can confirm what each medication is (helpful if a pill is dropped or misplaced).

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.