About PALS – NCSG

Who can participate:

Any city, town, county, or community government office can partner with the PALS. Agreeing on the partnership requires a one-year commitment of coordination while having modest financial contribution to defray faculty and student expenses.

PALS workflow:

Contact a local government such as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), Maryland Department of Planning (MDP), Prince George’s Department of Parks and Recreation (PG DPR), Prince George’s Planning Department (PG PD), etc. whether or not they want to part of a PALS project for the academic year of two semesters.
Discuss specific sustainability challenges on a project in which the local government may have, needing some assistance from the University of Maryland students.

These challenges may include:

Urban revitalization
Storm water or solid waste management
Economic development
Social service management
Communications
Social media
Financial management
Public health
Environmental protection
Culture and arts
And much more

Coordinate with the University of Maryland faculty at the beginning of the semester who teach existing courses who are willing to focus their course project/case studies on the challenges identified by the chosen local government.

PALS can help your community in:

Expanding your job base or attracting new jobs
Managing your energy supplies efficiently
Ensuring water quality and conservation
Meeting stormwater and land use regulation
Taking your recycling program to the next level
Exploring new funding methods for fire and policy
Engaging minority and low-income communities
Creating wellness programs
Using social media effectively
Anticipating climate change
Capturing the value of public investment through tax increment finance

PALS Informational Flyers

PALS Partnership Brochures

For more information contact:

PALS Director, Kimberly Fisher

NCSG Director, Kathryn Howell

PALS Homepage