AUSTIN PALS AT A GLANCE
PALS (Peer Assistance, Leadership and Service) is a youth empowerment and cross-age peer mentoring program that has served thousands of Austin ISD students since it was founded at Crockett High School in 1980.
Since its inception, PALS has trained high school students across the district to be peer mentors to younger students at feeder schools, serving as their role models and mentors. Today, the program has expanded to training elementary and middle school students to serve as peer mentors.
PALS promotes service, the development of interpersonal skills and community-mindedness, which helps to create a more positive and productive school environment.
The mission and vision of our PALS Capital Campaign is to ensure leadership,mentoring and peer to peer assistance in the Austin community for our children, while creating tomorrow’s leaders.
EMPOWERING AUSTIN'S YOUNG LEADERS
PALS are students trained in mentoring and leadership in cooperation with Austin ISD's Counseling, Social Emotional Learning (SEL), and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) staff, as well as district-approved outside facilitators. PALS work with students at their own campuses and at feeder schools in their vertical teams to mentor, role-model and implement community-service projects. PALees are younger students who are mentored by older PALS. They typically spend 30-40 minutes per week with a carefully trained older PAL.
SUPPORT CURRENT CAMPUS PALS PROGRAMS
Since its inception, PALS has trained high school students across the district to be peer mentors to younger students at feeder schools, serving as their role models and mentors. Today, the program has expanded to training elementary and middle school students to serve as peer mentors.
ENSURE FUTURE AUSTIN PALS PROGRAMS
Ensure leadership, mentoring and peer-to-peer assistance in the Austin community for our children, while creating tomorrow's leaders. The Campaign will reinforce the important work being done within Austin ISD and will be held at the Austin Community Foundation.
BUILD THE PALS ALUMNI NETWORK
With our mission in mind, we strive to find new strategies for engaging former PALS to make a positive impact. The Campaign will foster alumni engagement through the PALS Alumni Network. Once a PAL, ALWAYS a PAL. Contact us to learn more about our commitment to this cause.
"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together"
Vincent van Gogh
