Connecting Champions
Civic and Social OrganizationsPennsylvania, United States11-50 Employees
Connecting Champions is a nonprofit organization in the civic and social sector that supports children and young adults navigating cancer. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the organization asks participants about their future aspirations and pairs them with local mentors who accompany them through treatment and into survivorship. Its programs, delivered both in person and virtually, reach youths aged 3 to 26 from across the country and connect them with mentors from more than 50 career paths, including fashion, zoology, and NASA engineering. The approach emphasizes evidence-based, outcomes-focused support to address developmental, psychosocial, and physical challenges while helping participants imagine life beyond the disease. Mentors assist families in managing distress, supporting developmental milestones, reclaiming identity, and creating a practical plan for life after cancer.