Yoga classes. Granola-making. Scrapbooking. It might make you think of a childhood summer camp. But take a look around Camp Discovery and you’ll see that things are different.

Each of the participants is an adult woman—and each is here because she is recovering from or living with cancer. Staying active is a powerful way to help people heal, adapt, and come together after illness or injury. That’s a fundamental understanding in the fields of rehabilitation sciences and occupational therapy, and it’s why Rochelle Mendonca, assistant professor of occupational therapy, created Camp Discovery five years ago in collaboration with faculty at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. 

Mendonca says this is one of the very few camps designed for women with all kinds of cancer—and that more programs like this are desperately needed. Improvements in treatment mean that today many people survive or are actively living with cancer. But those treatments can still take a heavy toll on a patient’s physical and mental wellbeing and can upend their work, family and social lives.

The problem, Mendonca says, is that there is almost no outpatient rehabilitation or community programming available for patients after treatment ends. “They aren’t talked to about what comes after,” she says. “They assume that they’re going to be discharged and go back to life as it was before.”

The reality is different. Many people are recovering from surgeries that make daily activities like getting dressed difficult to do. Cancer treatments can cause mood swings, depression, and fatigue. Some people have had to leave their jobs, and family and friends might not understand what they’re going through.

“Our goal is to develop a community base for these women”—and in the process, to help them rebuild their physical, mental and emotional well-being, says Mendonca. Campers learn to make healthy snacks and practice self-reflection, giving them positive ways to stay active while recovering. Exercise activities are fun and social and can be adapted to different physical abilities.

That’s important when many women here are still regaining energy and self-confidence after months of grueling treatment. And doing activities as a group—there are up to 40 women in each camp session— means that participants meet others who are going through the same thing. “Each of them knows what it feels like when you hear for the first time that you have cancer,” says Mendonca. “And regardless of what stage of treatment or recovery they’re at, they really support each other. Now it’s easy for them to recognize that they’re not alone.”

For many women, that sense of connection and community is one of the most enduring benefits. The goal is for participants to maintain these healthy habits after Camp Discovery ends. Mendonca says the progress she sees during the camp is remarkable. “We see lots of changes in terms of them being confident, wanting to be physically active, and wanting to engage in things they didn’t think they could do. It motivates them to push to do more.”