Why be a Youth Ambassador?
The Youth Ambassador Program for our Chapter was established four years ago and has seen 94 children and teens come through the program. Each year, the program has evolved and grown because of the efforts of the YAs and their parents.
The application for the 2022 Youth Ambassador Program will be available on November 1 for children in Kindergarten through teens entering their Senior year of high school.
Why be a Youth Ambassador?
The Youth Ambassadors are provided with opportunities to share their stories of living with type 1 diabetes (“T1D”) at various events. Whether it’s at a local health fair, a lunch and learn with a corporate sponsor, or on virtual events, they share the realities of living T1D. The YA program empowers them to learn to use their voice with confidence and to be young leaders.
Youth Ambassadors are invited to join in advocacy efforts, including Promise to Remember Me Meetings with Congressional representatives. We encourage our YAs to become Youth Advocacy Leaders by helping to recruit more people to become advocates, sharing their stories on social media and using their voice.
Youth Ambassadors lead fundraising efforts to help move JDRF’s mission forward. YA Melanie said, “I believe it is important to lead a fundraising effort as a youth ambassador because we are able to serve as the face of T1D. By leading these efforts, we are taking the initiative to create a better future for ourselves and our community. While it is easy for us, as the younger generation, to let adults take the lead on such causes, this requirement forces us outside of our comfort zone and accustoms us to using our own influence as a force of change for good. Alongside learning valuable life skills (such as communication) through the experience, we get to represent a cause which we strongly believe in and want to see materialize in the future.”
Community. In the Youth Ambassador application, almost everyone responds that they want to be able to meet others with T1D. While our Chapter offers a variety of meet-up, support and educational opportunities, the Youth Ambassadors have quarterly meetings and additional opportunities to connect with other YAs and expand their circle of friends and support.
Olivia, who is in her fourth year with the YA Program, says, “I encourage all T1Ds to become involved as a Youth Ambassador. Being a YA has been such an amazing experience and I have learned and grown from it so much as a T1D and as a person. As a YA you are involved in a community and I think that is my favorite thing of all. You are surrounded by a group of people who understand you when others don’t. Being a YA also gets you involved in a ton of volunteer work. It has helped me to grow as a person and showed me what I am capable of. I’ve learned that one person can make a big difference.”
Russell has been in the YA program since it’s inception in 2018. He’s had the opportunity to speak at a number of events in our community and says “I’ve had such a rewarding experience with the JDRF Youth Ambassador program for the past several years. I love going out and thanking corporate sponsors for supporting the JDRF. The YA program has helped me find my voice to talk about my diagnosis and experience, and I’ve met some of my bet friends in the YA program!”