April, 2024
By Elizabeth Landin, Staff Reporter
PALS was recently introduced to KIPP Austin Collegiate in the 2022-2023 school year. PALS stands for “Peer Assistance and Leadership”. PALS is an organization that allows students to engage and mentor younger peers. Mentoring high school freshmen, middle school students, and GAIN students. Through this, students get the opportunity to create a strong connection with their peers and create a trust bond that will hopefully leave a lasting impact.
In the beginning of the school year, PAL’s go through a 6-week training process where they learn things such as suicide prevention, trauma information, and much more. When they are done with training they begin the process where the PAL’s select their PALee. Organizing games and activities that ultimately help them start and create that bond with their younger peers. However, for freshmen in high school who get a PAL it is different, the counselors decide who will get each student based on their understanding of both the PAL and the PALee.
During class time, PAL’s split into committees that plan different activities. For example, there is the birthday committee (organizes small parties for the PAL’s on their birthday), fundraising (decides what they’re gonna sell for first friday), and also marketing (posts on instagram and keeps the people updated). Students get the opportunity to choose what committee they’re gonna be in at the beginning of the school year and may work in various committees if they choose to.
In order to maintain an organized schedule with all PALees, PAL’s have a full planning period on Mondays where they decide what activities they will do with their PALees and let the teacher know of any equipment or space needed. On Tuesday’s high school PALees get picked up, Thursdays are for middle school, and Fridays PALs go with GAIN.
One of the important goals that PALs have is to fundraise for the annual PALs conference. This year, most of the funds were used in order to pay for the entrance and shirts at the conference. In this event, various PALs organizations in Texas meet in one location for workshops and family group sessions. In this event, students and teachers get together to learn more about each other and to learn leadership skills.
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