It’s a sleepaway camp on college campuses across the country for people with Down syndrome and their peers, and the organization behind it is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
PALS Programs offers days of fun, friendship and unforgettable memories and immersive city experiences. For instance, the participants of the program, which is now underway, celebrated the Independence Day holiday with a Washington Nationals game and a BBQ and fireworks party.
The 45 participants, all 21 and over, are staying on Georgetown University’s campus through Sunday. PALS co-founder and executive director Jenni Newbury Ross told WTOP their jam-packed itinerary also includes a stop at a Georgetown piano bar, rooftop karaoke, and a scavenger hunt in Annapolis.
“They’re really having an incredible time being able to celebrate the Fourth of July, but also just being able to celebrate some independent opportunities; to have some really fun social interactions and build friendships together,” she said.
PALS DC has partnered with Georgetown University since 2013.
Newbury Ross cofounded the nonprofit organization when she was 16 years old. Her own experience growing up in New Jersey with her younger brother served as the catalyst for its inception.
“I knew that a lot of things in the world that seemed to be just for Jason, just for folks with special needs, and there were things in the world that seemed just for me, where Jason couldn’t participate,” Ross explained.
The first PALS camp was held in 2004 at Cabrini University in Pennsylvania, with 16 campers and 16 volunteers. Since then, Newbury Ross said 6,000 people have participated in at least one PALS program.
The age range at PALS is typically between 12-30 and programs are around a weeklong. During camp, each person with Down syndrome is paired with someone in their age range.
“They stay overnight, wake up and have breakfast together,” she said. “They’re going on trips. They’re brushing their teeth at the end of the day together. And it really is this fully immersive opportunity to get to know someone different from you and to live your life alongside them.”
Newbury Ross said her brother, a regular, is taking part in this week’s program in D.C.
For more information on PALS Programs, go to its website.