Volunteering at PALS

Thanks for your interest in volunteering at PALS Autism School! PALS is a year-round special education school located in New Westminster serving students from kindergarten to grade 12. We’d like to tell you a little bit more about us and learn a little bit more about you, before being able to move to the next step in the volunteer process.

Our students attend school Monday to Friday, from 9:00am to 3:00pm. They learn through both 1:1 and small group activities on-site and in the community, using specialized teaching methodologies. PALS also offers a licensed Before and After-school Care program, which operates from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. PALS employs Classroom Teachers, Behaviour Interventionists, Board Certified Behaviour Analysts, and other specialized therapists such as a Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist, and Music Therapist. The school is a fast-paced, fun, and physical environment where we see great success every day with our students thanks to the data-driven programming!

The school is closed on weekends, as well as the following 7 weeks throughout the year: 2 weeks at Christmas, 1 week for March Break, 2 weeks at the beginning of July, and 2 weeks at the end of August. During these times, there may be no opportunities for volunteering, unless a special event is happening like a fundraiser.

We can’t do what we do without the support of volunteers like you! Volunteers at PALS may be able to commit to one shift per week, or just help with one special activity. Volunteers may be students themselves and looking to gain volunteer hours or experience that will help them with post-secondary or job applications. Or they may be interested in joining a community of like-minded individuals who want to use their free time to give back. Some volunteers want to work directly with the students, and others want to support us by helping prepare activity materials, fundraising, and/or general repairs around the building. We are always open to hearing your ideas on how you can help!

To see what PALS means to the families of the students who attend, please watch this short 2-min video: https://youtu.be/YTNSmwyz7h4

If you’re still interested in volunteering at PALS, we ask you to complete the pre-screening questions below.

When a volunteer opportunity becomes available that fits your profile, we will arrange a meeting with you to confirm we are the right fit for you and you are the right fit for us, before proceeding with making a volunteer schedule.

If we don’t have a volunteer position for you at this time, please continue to inquire about future opportunities by emailing info@palsautismschool.ca