Young Advocate Program
Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s Young Advocate Program provides the tools and training to help young people use their personal breast cancer experience to make a difference in their communities by raising awareness, further their understanding of the disease and advocate for others. This opportunity is geared toward people diagnosed with breast cancer before age 45 who live in the United States.
The most important thing [the training] taught me was that my place in this world is to be involved with education of and support for any young person who has heard that crashing sentence: You have breast cancer.
After the training, Young Advocates are tasked with connecting others to LBBC through grassroots outreach within their community and completing two advocacy related activities within 1 year. In the past, Young Advocates have spoken at events in their communities, participated in research review boards, raised awareness of young people affected by breast cancer through blog posts and social media outreach, shared LBBC materials with healthcare providers and more.
Applications for 2024 have closed.
Questions? Contact:
Jade Lleonart Adler
Community Engagement Coordinator
610-645-4570 | jlleonart@lbbc.org
Click here to view and/or print the 2024 Young Advocate program flyer.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Young Advocate Program involve?
This year’s Young Advocate Program training will be primarily an in-person training in Philadelphia, PA (with a virtual kick-off session) and is scheduled to take place over the following days:
Live sessions:
- Session 1: Saturday, August 10 – 12:00pm-4:00pm ET (Virtual)
- Session 2: Friday, August 16 – 5:00pm-8:00pm ET (In-Person)
- Sessions 3: Saturday, August 17 – 8:30am-5:30pm ET (In-Person)
- Session 4: Sunday, August 18 – 8:00am-12:30pm ET (In-Person)
Self-paced learning:
- Some aspects of the training include self-paced learning videos and reflection documents. These exercises are foundational to the training and you should expect to dedicate approximately 2 hours to completing them prior to training.
Please note: You must attend all sessions and complete the self-paced learning in order to be trained and activated as a Young Advocate.
Who is eligible for the program?
- People diagnosed with breast cancer before age 45.
- People living in the United States or its territories.
- We are seeking a diverse candidate pool, including:
- Applicants of all income levels, including those with an annual household gross income at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
- Applicants from all ethnic & racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities
- People who are under 35 years old.
- People who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the last 3 years.
- People who are living with metastatic breast cancer.
Note: It is recommended that when you apply for the Young Advocate program, you are at least one year out from either an early stage or a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis.
What will participants do once accepted into the program?
Participants accepted into the program will:
- Complete the entire training.
- Complete at least two individual activities in their community and connect one healthcare provider to LBBC within 1 year of completing the training.
- Work to connect others in their community to LBBC’s programs and services.
- Receive ongoing technical support from LBBC experts, advocacy leaders, and peer support throughout the program.
Where does the training take place?
Session 1 Information:
Session 1 of 2024 Young Advocate training on Saturday, August 10 will take place virtually. For a successful training experience, LBBC requires all applicants have access to a computer or smart device equipped with a camera and microphone. If you have access to this technology at home but share it with others in your household, you must be able to access it for the full duration of the training.
Sessions 2-4 Information:
Sessions 2-4 of 2024 Young Advocate training from Friday, August 16 to Sunday, August 18 will take place in-person in Philadelphia, PA at the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn's Landing. To participate in Young Advocate training, you must attend Sessions 2-4 in-person. LBBC will provide financial assistance for travel.
What costs does LBBC cover?
- Primary travel to and from the training, including airfare, train, bus, or car (up to $500). You will pay for this cost upfront and LBBC will reimburse you after the training.
- Two nights at the conference hotel in a room shared with another Young Advocate. LBBC will pay for this upfront. You will be required to present a credit card at the time of check-in for incidentals. Young Advocates who live more than 20 miles outside the hotel region are eligible for the shared hotel room.
- Roundtrip ground transportation to and from the airport in Philadelphia (up to $70). You will pay for this cost upfront and LBBC will reimburse you after the training.
- Food and beverage provided during training hours. Includes: Friday dinner; Saturday breakfast, lunch, and snacks; Sunday breakfast and box lunch.
LBBC financial assistance is designed to offset the cost of traveling to the training. It will NOT cover all your expenses.
What will I be responsible for paying for?
- Any primary travel expenses not covered by LBBC.
- Any additional travel-related expenses, such as luggage fees, flight change fees, parking fees, travel insurance, etc.
- Any hotel expenses not covered by LBBC.
- Meals, snacks, and beverages that are not included during training hours.
- Rental cars.
- Incidentals charged to your hotel room (including, but not limited to, room service, health club charges, gift shop charges).
How do I make my travel arrangements?
You are responsible for reserving your preferred method of travel to Philadelphia and making all necessary payments upfront. Young Advocates will be reimbursed for their travel expenses after the training is completed.
LBBC will reserve your shared hotel room for you and assign you a roommate from the Young Advocate Program. This will be 100% covered by LBBC and paid upfront.
If you would like a single room, LBBC will reserve your hotel room for you, and you will be responsible for 50% of the total charge upon check-out, which comes out to approximately $240 (including taxes). LBBC will cover the other 50% upfront.
Additional information will be provided upon acceptance.
How can I share information about this program?
Thank you Young Advocate program sponsors
Signature sponsor
