IDF Europe Youth Leadership Lab
- Alyssa Faulkner
- Mar 16
- 2 min read
Each year, IDF Europe hosts a youth leadership camp for young people age 18-30 living with diabetes. I attended the camp myself in 2017, when it was hosted in Romania, and I gained so many skills. It is am amazing opportunity for young people to gain skills, friends and opportunities, as well as belong to a community of advocates from across Europe.
The Youth Leadership Lab brings together more than 20 like-minded young people with diabetes from across Europe for a 6-day camp, and some of the activities of the camp may include:
Educational sessions on engaging in advocacy, policy etc
Mentorship from previous participants of the camp
Sports activities
Social engagement with other participants
...and much more. Each year it is held in a different location in Europe, hosted by local diabetes associations, and has previously been hosted in places such as Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Serbia. Following attending the camp, participants automatically get added to the YOURAH community, a community of YLL alumni.
This year's camp will be held in Parma, Italy, with the applications being open for young people aged 18-30 with all types of diabetes. To apply, you'll need your local diabetes association to recommend you (I got my recommendation by Diabetes UK), and the application deadline is the 21st March. If your interested, you can find out more here - https://idf.org/europe/what-we-do/youth-activities/ylc-yll/
I asked my friend Sophie Miller, a participant of the YLL 2024 in Serbia, to discuss her experience of attending the YLL:
"The youth leadership lab brought many feelings of happiness, hope, acceptance and friendship, but above all its instilled a motivation to be part of advocacy projects that have an impact on the whole diabetes community. Having the opportunity to meet young advocates from across Europe is something I will always be grateful for and my life has changed for the better because of this. As one of the younger participants, I felt so inspired during the time in Serbia and I left with friends, but also mentors. The people made the camp what it was and I learnt so much from the workshops organised by IDF Europe, but also from the small conversations walking between sessions or at dinner. Several months later I still look back at that time for motivation and the lessons I learnt will stay with me throughout my advocacy journey."
The 'Youth Leadership Lab' programme is an excellent place for young advocates to get inspired and gain skills, and I couldn't recommend applying enough. Good luck with your application!
Until Next Time,
Alyssa x
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