Camp Lucy brings mental health support to a growing community of local students

Camp Lucy, which took place recently in the wooded hills of O’Hara Township’s Camp Guyasuta, brought together hundreds of middle school students from all over the Pittsburgh region. 

But while this one-day mental health workshop, launched by Pittsburgh-based advocate Jordan Corcoran, gathers students from a range of school districts, it isn’t about tests or competitions. Instead, the day is all about vulnerability, openness and joy — and the invitation to just be. 

Corcoran, who founded the nonprofit Listen, Lucy after being diagnosed with generalized anxiety and panic disorder in college, has spent the last 12 years visiting schools and sharing her story. But it wasn’t until last year that she brought students from multiple districts together for something more immersive, tactile and student-led. This is Camp Lucy.

It is free for participating schools, intentionally small and grounded in community-building.

In its second year, the event welcomed students from more than 10 districts across Allegheny County, including Woodland Hills, Carlynton, North Hills, and North Allegheny. The districts are responsible only for transportation. Once students arrive, everything from lunch and materials to emotional support is provided.

Sessions at Camp Lucy are designed to engage both heart and mind. In an activity called Cross the Line, Corcoran invites students to step into a circle and reflect on shared struggles and building strength through vulnerability. Julius Boatwright leads mindfulness and somatic healing exercises, while movement workshops with Wonsettler Physical Therapy help lift energy and focus. Taryn Bird holds a vision boarding session to help students reimagine their futures. Tying it all together is a steady pulse of music from resident DJ Jessica A. McKelvey. 

Corcoran’s understanding of young people’s emotional needs comes from years of experience. In her work with students, she began to notice a pattern. In high schools, students often waited until the end to approach her. In middle schools, hands shot up in the middle of presentations.

“Kids in middle school are in this really beautiful, vulnerable but very open place,” she says. “Whenever I was going into high schools, kids weren’t raising their hands as much. They’re waiting to speak to me after, which is absolutely understandable, but that’s the stigma and worry coming in at that age.”

Corcoran believes that if we reach children early, while they are still curious and unguarded, we can help them stay emotionally open as they grow.

“Introducing these topics to them whenever they aren’t embarrassed is key, so that when they become high school students, maybe we’ll help them continue that vulnerability — that transparency — and being able to take on these topics as if it’s just second nature. Because they already have that foundation in middle school.”

Now in its second year, Camp Lucy is helping build that foundation. It brings together a diverse mix of districts with different challenges, united by a shared belief: Mental health education is essential, and it cannot wait.

“I have seen schools’ resources for mental health support expand exponentially. When I first started Listen, Lucy, it was very hard. Not only because I was trying to build my reputation and get people to trust me, but also this wasn’t something that schools were necessarily prioritizing,” says Corcoran. 

That has shifted: “Over the past 10 years, and especially since the pandemic, I have seen so many programs blossom. SAP (Student assistance programs), Chill Rooms connected to the counselor’s office, with coping techniques on the wall and places for kids to go and just take a break if they’re overwhelmed. I’ve seen peer groups really do a wonderful job with organizations like Stand Together, where they do mental health training and then the kids teach the rest of their school.”

Corcoran says the response from educators has been deeply encouraging.

“One thing about Pittsburgh, I will tell you this. I run two businesses in this city. One is a nonprofit and one is a marketing firm, and our city supports our own like you just don’t get to experience anywhere else.”

Some of the participating districts have worked with her for years. Others are brand new. “We do have a nice handful of districts that haven’t interacted with us, or maybe this was their first year. I hosted an assembly, and then after the assembly, they decided to sign up for Camp Lucy.”

North Allegheny was one of them.

“This is our first year attending Camp Lucy,” says Sarah Ludwig, a seventh-grade science teacher at Carson Middle School. “It gives students extra tools in supporting their mental health. It is also a great opportunity for students to connect with other kids their age outside of their school district.”

At North Hills School District, it was a previous assembly that paved the way for involvement in Camp Lucy.

“We are fortunate to have had Jordan present to our middle school student body, sharing her personal story and her journey,” says Dawn McElhinney, seventh-grade counselor at North Hills Middle School. “In addition, we had the pleasure to attend Camp Lucy last spring and found the program to be beneficial, informative, and engaging for our students.”

McElhinney also highlights the school District’s broader approach to emotional well-being. They have implemented School Wide Positive Behavior Support, Stand Together, Diversity Club, Student Ambassadors, Kindness Club, and Service Club. They also participate in the Sandy Hook project with Start with Hello, Unity Day, and Children’s Grief Awareness, as well as student mentoring that pairs middle schoolers with high school students.

For teacher Donald Alexander of Carlynton School District, the impact of Camp Lucy is immediate and powerful.

“I was fortunate enough to have taken students from Crafton Elementary to Camp Lucy last year,” he says. “This year I have the privilege of taking students from Carnegie Elementary to participate in this one-of-a-kind experience. The students last year had such an amazing experience, hearing from experts in the field of mental health and wellness. Additionally, students were able to work in a noncompetitive setting with kids from school districts from across the county.”

Alexander has seen how the pandemic affected student behavior.

“Kids were easily agitated, quick to give up, and anxious when faced with challenges,” he says. “By allowing for opportunities for our students to attend events such as Camp Lucy, assemblies like Josh and Gab, and programs like the Allegheny Health Network Chill Project to be part of a tiered system addressing student mental health needs, our district is making every attempt to progressively change how we make sure our students are safe and happy.”

Ideally, the experience will stay with them. “My hope is that each student participating will be able to leave Camp Lucy with at least one strategy for improving upon their own mental health and well-being, while also feeling empowered to share these strategies with friends and family members at home.”

Beyond schools, Camp Lucy also partners with community organizations. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh collaborates with Woodland Hills through its in-school mentoring initiative, Level Up, which supports middle schoolers in social-emotional growth and goal setting.

“At Big Brothers Big Sisters, we believe that every young person deserves a strong, supportive relationship,” says Maggie Giel, the organization’s chief advancement officer. “Being part of Camp Lucy with our Woodland Hills mentees means we’re creating intentional space for connection, healing and growth. That’s never been more important.”

According to reports by the CDC, 40% of high school students in the United States reported persistent sadness or hopelessness in 2023. About one in five seriously considered suicide. 

For Corcoran, reaching children earlier is critical: “There are so many kids struggling,” she says.

After she finishes a presentation, students form lines, “waiting to talk, to share their story. I feel so wonderful that they feel connected and that me sharing my story gave them permission to share theirs. But it’s very challenging to see these young people really grappling with so much. It breaks my heart,” she says, “but it also shows me the power of showing up.”

When asked what success might look like in five years, Corcoran is clear: She wants to grow, but carefully.

“With the event, I think what I would envision is that we add more days. I do not want to add more students to the current event. I would rather duplicate the event and do it an additional day.”

For her, it comes back to connection.

“Last year, for example, there were several students that, throughout the day, were going through something. It is the most uplifting, joyful conference, right? But we do talk about serious subjects. So I had something up that said if you’re struggling, come grab me. If I’m not speaking, you come to me directly. Even though I’m running this, that’s my job here.”

Several students did exactly that. “I was able to take them outside and connect with them one-on-one and take a walk through,” she says. “I think if the room got bigger, if there were too many kids, I wouldn’t be able to have those one-on-one connections. I like to be able to make eye contact with each person. I don’t want to sacrifice that, because I think that intimate experience is really important.”

Camp Lucy may eventually expand to other cities. Some communities have already reached out. Corcoran welcomes the interest, but her focus remains on growing with intention.

“The most important thing I want to happen at Camp Lucy is for kids to feel less alone,” she says. “I want them to leave with this feeling of validation. That they belong here. That regardless of the journey they’re on or the struggle they may be facing, they are wonderful and deserve to be happy and healthy simply because they’re here.”