ShoreCorps/Partnershipfor Adolescents (PALS) Receives $348,706 Grant

SALISBURY, MD--Salisbury State University received $348,706 to continue the ShoreCorps/Partnership for Adolescents (PALS) program, now in its fifth year.

The ShoreCorps/PALS program provides opportunities for participants to provide services to their communities through community-based organizations and agencies. ShoreCorps/PALS serves at-risk adolescents in the four-county region of Maryland’s Lower Shore. The program, directed by Linda Beall and supervised by Dr. George Whitehead of SSU’s Psychology Department, offers services such as tutoring, mentoring and assisting youth in health education, health services and life skills development to various agencies.

Under the four components of the AmeriCorps ethic, “getting things done, strengthening communities, encouraging responsibilities and expanding opportunities,” ShoreCorps/PALS meets all of these components through many of their services.

ShoreCorps/PALS not only helps the adolescents of the Lower Shore, but it also provides training to those who work with the adolescents. The services include: mentoring and tutoring of adolescents, improvement of life skills for over 125 pregnant and parenting teens and improving the ability of teens to manage conflicts non-violently.

PALS promotes training to those who work with adolescents through two three-credit interdisciplinary courses, group service projects and weekly written and verbal reflections by participants. To ensure growth of the program, PALS aggressively recruits additional volunteers and seeks additional community partners through presentations to community groups.

For more information call Beall at 410-543-6137.