The Impact of PALS
Mission
Founded in 1988, PALS is an academic enrichment and high school preparation program for students from the city of Lawrence, Mass. PALS, which stands for Phillips Academy and Lawrence Schools, brings 40 middle schoolers to the Andover campus for a free, five-week program each summer.
Key Features
- Academic Enrichment: Five-week summer program for rising 7th and 8th graders focused on STEM and the humanities, designed to strengthen core skills and support high school readiness. Courses offered in summer 2026 included Chemistry for a Sustainable Future, Agroecology, Algebra, and seminar-style expository writing.
- Experiential Learning: Field trips, athletic activities, and interactive projects that extend learning beyond the classroom and encourage curiosity, collaboration, and exploration.
- Community Building: A welcoming, supportive environment where students engage with peers from across Lawrence, forming new friendships and strengthening social and academic confidence.
Our Program
40
students in grades 7 and 8
13
Lawrence, Mass., middle schools represented
90%
of rising 8th graders returned to PALS or other Andover programs
38
years of PALS at Phillips Academy
1:1
high school application support
450+
alumni
In Action: PALS Summer 2026
Impact and Results
- 91% of participants would recommend PALS to their friends back home
- 93% of students felt confident about accessing resources to help them apply to area high schools
- 90% of students felt academically challenged by their PALS summer experience
- 97% of participants felt supported in meeting the academic challenges faced in PALS this summer
- 100% of students reported experiencing personal and/or academic growth during the PALS summer program
PALS has taught me about topics I haven’t heard about yet and has helped me improve my social skills.
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I love that PALS helps me prepare for the future.
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PALS has prepared me for the upcoming year because I have improved my reading and my knowledge of chemicals and elements and how they interact.
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Alumni Speak
“PALS truly changed the trajectory of my life and shaped who I have turned out to be. When I entered the program, I was a shy, anxious first-generation student who didn’t yet see all the possibilities ahead of me. PALS gave me the chance to be a student first—to step into new environments, build confidence, and imagine a future I hadn’t yet thought was possible. Through consistent support during the summer, and even throughout the school year, the PALS instructors and mentors helped me not only navigate educational opportunities but believe that I truly belonged in spaces of excellence like Phillips Academy.” —Dr. Nicole Cruz Merced, EdD, Residence Community Director, MA Community Social Psychology
Thank You
PALS is funded through the generosity of individual donors and foundations. As a result, the program is free of charge for all selected students. Thank you!