Andy Pitrone
Dr. Andy Pitrone learned to live courageously with contamination OCD while thriving as an elementary school teacher in the Union City (PA) School District. Andy uses Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) strategies to challenge his OCD mind while embracing contamination and uncertainty. He's been a trusted classroom teacher and family advocate for more than 20 years. Back in 2022, Andy teamed up with fellow board member Brianna Morrow to co-found We Are Courageous Kids. Children living with anxiety and OCD have benefitted from their organization's Power Boost and Summer Blast programming.
Andy received his Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Edinboro (now PennWest) University of PA in 1998. Several years later, he earned a Master of Education degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Gannon University. After researching the lived experiences of grandparents raising one or more of their grandchildren, Andy earned his Doctorate in Education from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020. His dissertation is titled: Kinship Voices: Listening to Grandparent Caregivers Raising School-Age Children