Tim Tai

This semester, two Yale college students started a new program at Yale New Haven Hospital to improve the pediatric in-patient experience.

Project Sunshine is a national community-based organization that aims to improve the in-patient pediatric experience by creating art, playing games and spending time with children through volunteer-led programming. Nicholas Murphy ’27 and Noah Glassman ’27, working with Yale New Haven Hospital, started the Yale Chapter of Project Sunshine. The chapter aims to serve Yale New Haven pediatric patients, alleviating some of the stress of hospitalization.

“According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is the most effective method of reducing stress in children, allowing their bodies to heal,” said Lauren Pierce, the associate manager of programs in the Northeast region. “Play is at the heart of our efforts because it provides a vital outlet for patients, helping them cope with the stress and difficulties they face during their medical journeys.”

Pierce is a Certified Child Life Specialist and previously worked with Project Sunshine volunteers for 11 years. She joined the organization as a Consultant in Pediatric Experience March 2023, transitioning into her current role this past November. 

Project Sunshine has been around for over two decades. In 1998, college student Joe Weilgus founded the organization after walking through a pediatric wing and observing the patients sitting by themselves in their rooms. With the intention of cheering them up, Weilgus returned to the hospital the next week dressed as a clown, soothing scared patients and apprehensive caregivers. 

Regarding his experience volunteering with Project Sunshine, Murphy told the News, “You see the kids slowly bring out their own talents. They bring out their own energy. From my experience, you get an unbelievable reaction from a lot of the patients.”

Both Glassman and Murphy previously volunteered with Project Sunshine outside of college, which inspired them to bring the organization to Yale. 

Project Sunshine has three main programs that can be tailored to each pediatric patient’s needs: Here to Play, Teleplay and Kits for Play. Here to Play is their in-person volunteer-led arts and crafts programming. Each session goes for about two hours and can either be in groups or one-on-one. Teleplay, which takes place over a HIPAA compliant Zoom call, is their virtual program where patients and volunteers can play from a Game Library. Kits for Play are individual play kits packed by Project Sunshine volunteers. 

“While there are these formalized programs, there are specialty events that come up on a hospital to hospital basis,” Glassman added, expanding on how Project Sunshine events can go beyond the three programs. For example, Glassman has decorated pediatric wards for hospitals in Harlem. 

On Feb. 1, the Yale Chapter of Project Sunshine held their first meeting, serving as both an information and kit building session. They assembled around 250 basketball kits which patients will be able to decorate. Project Sunshine requires each chapter to host at least two kit building sessions per year. After the kits are built they are shipped back to Project Sunshine for distribution across various affiliated hospitals. 

From their initial email, Glassman and Murphy have received considerable interest, with over 120 responses from freshmen and sophomores. 

“People want to volunteer. People love working with children. And the support from the Yale community immediately has been really amazing,” Murphy said. 

Volunteers must complete both Project Sunshine training and gain YNHH clearance in order to participate in the in-person programming. Glassman and Murphy’s main intention for the club will be the in-person programming -–  Here to Play –– along with kit building and fundraising events. In the future, they hope to have volunteer groups go to YNHH twice a week for two-hour sessions. 

Although the Yale Chapter is relatively new, Murphy and Glassman can see this initiative expanding outside of just the YNHH to other hospitals.  

Project Sunshine operates in five countries, reaching 250,000 patients and families.