Pitt Education alumni volunteered at a day camp for children impacted by cancer

This July, several graduates from the University of Pittsburgh’s Applied Developmental Psychology (ADP) program volunteered their time to participate in the annual weeklong Camp Clubhouse.

Camp Clubhouse, which began in 2007, is a summer day camp for children impacted by cancer. It offers therapeutic and expressive arts opportunities for children ages 5-12 years to connect with peers who understand what it is like to be an oncology patient or to have a family member or friend with a cancer diagnosis.

“Cultivating a safe space for kids to come together and connect over experiences that can be so isolating was incredibly special,” said Leah Frank (EDUC ’23), an ADP graduate student who volunteered. “Throughout the week, I watched seasoned campers reconnect with their friends while welcoming first-time campers who were making life-long friends themselves, and it’s the greatest honor to have fostered an environment where these unbreakable bonds could be formed.”

Other Pitt Education alumni who served at the camp are pictured above. From left to right: Breinne Regan (EDUC ’05, ’06G), Abby Briscoe (EDUC ’15G), Adjunct Assistant Professor Denise Esposto (EDUC ’77, ’81G, ’23G), Leah Frank (EDUC ’23) and Lindsey Thompson (EDUC ’22G).

— Nick France, photography courtesy of Denise Esposto