Gamma P.A.L.S. Mentoring Program
Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority, Inc. Promoting Academics, Athletics & Leadership amongst Latinas through Sisterhood & Service
     
“If You Let Me Play
I will like myself more
I will have more self-confidence
I will suffer less depression
I will be 60% less likely to get breast cancer
I will be more likely to leave a man who beats me
I will be less likely to get pregnant before I want to
I will learn what it means to be strong
If you let me play sports”
     
The Gamma P.A.L.S. (Promoting Academics, Atheletics, & Leadership amongst Latinas through Sisterhood & Service) Mentoring Program was the brainchild of Hermanas Stacey Malacara and Jessica Bernal in year 1999. These young women noticed a lack of Latinas in the sport’s programs in their city and felt that the fact that they were given the chance to participate in sports starting at a young age put them one step ahead of the rest. They felt that Academics, Athletics, & Leadership go hand in hand because of the fact that you need to have a C average or higher to participate in sports on a high school level. Playing sports was good motivation to keep their grades up and also a great way to meet other ladies with the same commitment, dedication, drive, and sportsmanship. Not only did playing sports help them understand what teamwork was at an early age but it also gave them cooperation and leadership skills that they still utilize today. Being an athlete and learning to play a sport can sometimes be just as important as any class that one would take in school. Sports programs teach young people how to compete, how to strive for goals, and how to work with each other as a team.

Because of the fact that there is a lack in numbers of Latinas participating in sports and many other extra curricular activities today, the members of Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority, Inc.-Epsilon Chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside & Whitewater feel that it is important to honor and encourage those that do participate.

The Gamma P.A.L.S. Mentoring Program:

• takes part in honoring a young lady’s achievements both on and off the court, field, diamond, theatre & classroom. The program honors these participants at Gamma Alpha Omega’s annual banquet for any special academic, athletic, or extra-curricular achievements that they have made during the school year.

• provides support by taking an active role in attending participant’s scheduled games, tournaments, & performances when at all possible.

• provides a sisterhood by mentoring participants through a number of social and community service events throughout the year by sending quarterly newsletters to parents and their daughters announcing dates and times for upcoming Community Service & Social Events.

This is a FREE program in which our chapter works very hard in coordinating annual fundraisers to pay for different program trips, meals, and to lower the cost of Gamma PALS gear. This program is able to function with the time, dedication, and hours volunteered by our chapter members and the participants' parents and many donations from friends and families. We encourage parents to participate in 1 fundraiser per year in order to raise money to continue to support this program.

We’d like to thank all the PALS that have participated this past Spring semester and also thank the parents for dropping off and picking up the girls. We have some great social and service events planned for the upcoming months and look forward to seeing everyone participating. We always encourage parents to participate as well if time permits.

***We’d like to remind all the young ladies that updated PAL registration forms must be turned in a.s.a.p. along with copies of their latest report cards before they will be able to participate in any Fall activities. Please mail these to us at G.A.O. Sorority, Inc. - Epsilon Chapter, P.O. Box 081703, Racine, WI 53405-1703. Don’t forget that those participants with a D or lower in any classes will not be able to participate in any upcoming events until a progress report shows a grade change, as stated in the PALS registration form. Please contact Gamma PALS coordinator, Stacey Malacara at 262-637-3427 if you have any questions. Another big change to our program is participants in elementary school must be accompanied by a parent or personal chaperone for all field trips and social events

***We’d also like to remind parents and PALS to get us any FALL sport or extra curricular activity schedules. You can mail a copy to Stacey at the address above or send an attachment of the schedule via email to Stacey at feisty_gao@hotmail.com. Please include the name of PAL at the top of the schedule.

Gamma PAL T-shirts and drawstring backpacks are in!!!!!!! If you would like to purchase a PALS shirt to sport at school and REPRESENT our program, please contact Stacey. T-shirts are $15 (Heather Grey) and the drawstring backpacks are $15 (in navy blue). Both items have the Gamma PALS logo on them. We will soon have long sleeve shirts, more hooded sweatshirts, and “Proud Gamma PAL Parent” t-shirts for sale as well in the near future. **Please remember that purchasing these items will help in funding our programs and events!!!! Pease call Stacey if you’d like to purchase a shirt or bag, checks can be made out to Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority.


UPCOMING P.A.L.S. EVENTS

  • Valentines for the Elderly Saturday, Feb. 5th from 11am-2pm. Contact a member of GAO for more information!!!

 


Gamma R.O.S.A.S. Program
Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority
Reaching Out to Others through Service, Academics & Sisterhood


Using the success of the Gamma PALS program, the Gamma ROSAS pilot program is next step in our mentoring program that focuses on the sensitive issues young high school women face. Gamma wanted to create a program that addresses and manages the different needs that our high school participants face compared to our younger PALS.

Unlike our PALS program that is based at one elementary and middle school participants, the Gamma ROSAS Program is a mentorship program geared toward young women ages 14 to 18 that promotes sisterhood, cultural pride, academic excellence and service to the community within its participants, with an emphasis on college and career preparation, leadership, while also teaching our participants to become role models and mentors to our Gamma PALS participants.

The Gamma R.O.S.A.S. Program:

• Promotes higher education by preparing participants with a number of different workshops that focus on college prep, such as but not limited to Financial Aid and Scholarship information, College Applications, & Resume building.
• Takes part in honoring a young lady’s achievements both on and off the court, field, diamond, theatre & classroom. The program honors these participants at Gamma Alpha Omega’s annual banquet for any special academic, athletic, or extra-curricular achievements that they have made during the school year as well as providing support by taking an active role in attending participant’s scheduled games, tournaments, & performances when at all possible.
• Provides a sisterhood by mentoring participants through a number of social and community service events throughout the year.
• Focuses on leadership building through mentoring Gamma PALS, letting participants take a larger role in planning ROSAS & PAL events, while also serving as a support system for one another through these challenging, yet memorable, high school years.

UPCOMING R.O.S.A.S. EVENTS

  • In Honor of National Mentor Month, Join us and our Lovely Gamma Rosas at the Halo Shelter in Racine, WI. Saturday January 29th- from 9am-11am
  • Valentines for the Elderly, Feb. 5th from 11am-2pm. Contact a member of GAO for more information!!!

 



     




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