Welcome to the NorCal Youth Ambassador 2026/2027 Program!
- Attend the Youth Ambassador Program Information Session on September 16, 2027 at 6 pm
- With your parent’s permission, please fill out the 2027/2026 Application by August 30, 2026. The application is an opportunity to share about yourself, your connection to T1D, and what you are hoping to gain from the program. If the application period has already closed but you’re excited to be part of this group, don’t let that stop you — we’d still love to hear from you! Just email Laurie at [email protected], and we’ll see how we can get you involved. This is such an active group, and we always want to make room for passionate voices like yours.
About the NorCal Youth Ambassador Program
Thank you for your interest in being a 2027 Breakthrough T1D Northern California Youth Ambassador! As a Youth Ambassador (YA), you will have the opportunity to advocate for and raise awareness about type 1 diabetes (T1D) in your community. You will also help fundraise for better treatments and a cure for T1D. In turn, Youth Ambassadors will gain confidence in sharing their T1D story, demonstrate leadership skills, and collaborate with T1D peers all while advancing the mission of Breakthrough T1D.
The Youth Ambassador program is open to children and teens impacted by T1D in grades K-12. Those who complete the application and program described below will be certified as Youth Ambassadors on July 1, 2027. Thank you for your support and driving forward our mission to cure, treat and prevent T1D!
Program Requirements
From now until June 30, 2027, each Youth Ambassador should complete the following:
- Complete your choice of 4 of the activities listed in the table below, 1 of which must be a fundraiser (activities that count as fundraisers are marked with an asterisk)
- Set a fundraising goal to reach by June 30th, 2027
- Make sure to fill in and submit the activity log every time you complete an activity
| ACTIVITY | GRADE | COMPETENCY |
| Attend a Breakthrough T1D Youth Ambassador National Meet Up | K-12 | LEARN, CONNECT |
| Attend a NorCal Meet Up (in person or virtual) | K-12 | LEARN, CONNECT |
| Become a Youth Advocacy Leader (see link below) | K-12 | LEARN, LEAD |
| Participate in a clinical trial (see link below) | K-12 | LEARN |
| Write thank you letters or create thank you videos through Gravitad | K-12 | CONNECT |
| Speak at a Lunch & Learn at your parents’ work with help from Breakthrough T1D or arranged through Breakthrough T1D | K-12 | CONNECT, LEARN, LEAD |
| Share your story & educate others (ie: school, club, health fair, info table etc.) | K-12 | CONNECT, LEARN, LEAD |
| Form a Walk team and fundraise* | K-12 | CONNECT, LEAD |
| Participate in Breakthrough T1D Ride and fundraise* | 8th – 12 | CONNECT, LEAD |
| Participate in Breakthrough T1D Run and fundraise* | 8th – 12 | CONNECT, LEAD |
| Post to your parents’ social media why you Walk, Ride, Run – share your story | K-12 | CONNECT, LEAD |
| Create a Your Way fundraiser and share your story (see ideas below)* | K-12 | CONNECT, LEARN, LEAD |
| Volunteer at a Breakthrough T1D event (Summit, Breakfast with Rufus, etc) | 8th – 12 | CONNECT, LEAD |
Activity Log
Please use this form to log your activity for the year. Every time you write a thank you note, make a video, or attend an event, fill out one form for each activity you complete – Youth Ambassador Activity Log.
Upcoming Engagement Opportunities:
Save the date for our next Virtual YA Meeting on September 16th at 6 PM on Zoom! Now that you’ve learned to share your story, the topic will be DIY Fundraising!
The opportunities listed here will help Youth Ambassadors complete the program requirements for the year. New events and opportunities will continue to be added throughout the year, so check back often!
Fundraising Opportunities:
- Breakthrough T1D Your Way
- Breakthrough T1D Walk Silicon Valley – Oct 25th at PayPal Park
- Breakthrough T1D Walk San Francisco – Nov 8th at the SF Zoom
- Breakthrough T1D Walk Sacramento – Nov 8th at William Land Park
Volunteer to help:
It is only through the help of our volunteers that we are able to offer events to our community. We’d be thrilled to have your help! Please join us and volunteer at one of the below upcoming events:
- October 3rd Parade of Champions – Santa Clara
Youth Advocacy Leader Program
- Did you know that sharing your story can help drive meaningful changes on Capitol Hill and beyond? We need dedicated Breakthrough T1D Advocates–just like you–to help strengthen our efforts to create a world without type 1 diabetes. As a Breakthrough T1D Youth Advocacy Leader (YAL), you can lend your voice on behalf of the T1D community to help support legislation and policies that accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat T1D and its complications! Youth ages 17 and under are encouraged to apply (pro tip – it’s a terrific way to strengthen a 2027 Children’s Congress application!) Learn more and apply!
Participate in a Clinical Trial
Please check out our Clinical Trial webpage to see if there are any trials you qualify for near you!
Other Ideas to Support Fundraising
We want to make sure that fundraising is not only meaningful, but also fun! No matter your interests and talents, we have ideas for you! Make sure to check out our latest list of fundraising ideas here. And keep checking back as we update the list with YOUR ideas!
Looking for Breakthrough T1D Apparel?
If you’d like to add some Breakthrough T1D swag to your wardrobe, visit https://shop.breakthrought1d.org/products/apparel/.
Any Questions? Please reach out to Laurie Jimenez at [email protected]