Youth Advocate Program Overview

The Youth Advocate Program is a four-month civic engagement and advocacy training program that gives students the opportunity to share their Y story with policymakers in Washington, D.C. Youth Advocates will learn about the history and mission of the YMCA, what effective advocacy looks like, and how to illustrate the impact of the Y by sharing their Y story with Members of Congress.

During the Youth Advocate Program, students will: 

• Learn about the Y’s federal policy priorities and their importance to your community 
• Connect with peers from across the country interested in making positive change 
• Collaborate with local Ys and state alliances 
• Learn how to effectively tell your YMCA story to Congressional offices in Washington, D.C. 
• Learn strategies to continue advocating for positive change in your community and state after the the program.

No advocacy experience? No problem!

This program is designed to help you learn what advocacy is all about—from understanding policy issues to sharing your story in powerful ways. All you need is curiosity, a willingness to grow, and a passion for your YMCA experience. We’ll guide you every step of the way!

Here’s what former youth advocates have to say about the program: 

“My experience in the Youth Advocate Program was fantastic. The program taught me how to communicate effectively and learn more about how my YMCA impacts my community and the importance of funding from my government. I was able to learn more about the leaders who help create the environment my YMCA provided for me. In addition, I was able to communicate with other YMCA advocates to learn the impact their YMCA has on them. This program opened my eyes to how advocacy can truly create a positive change for myself and my community.”

“The Youth Advocate Program has changed my life. I have never learned more in a shorter period of time. I made some of my best friends, and I became so much stronger in my advocacy skills. I employ what I learned every day in my work and school life.”

Youth Advocate Application Process

Applications for the Youth Advocate Program open at the start of each school year. Approximately 50 high school students (up to 2 students per state) will be selected to serve as Youth Advocates. Past Youth Advocate participants are NOT eligible to apply.

>> Click here to apply for the Youth Advocate Program. Applications are due on September 30, 2025 at 11:59pm Hawaiian Standard Time

Interested students must review the following criteria before applying:

• Must be available to join in-person meetings from March 1-4, 2026
• Must be available to join virtual webinars on Sundays from 4:00-5:00pm ET on 11/16, 12/14, 1/25, and 2/22. 
• Must be a current YMCA member or program participant
• Must be mature, motivated, and comfortable sharing their Y stories
• Must be interested in serving as leaders in their community
• Must be passionate about representing the Y on a national level
• Current 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students will be given preference.

Application Tip: We want to hear about you—not just your accomplishments. Tell us what matters to you, what makes you tick, and how your experiences at the Y have shaped who you are. Your story is powerful, and we’re excited to learn what makes you, you.

Program Fees & Transportation

YMCA of the USA has received philanthropic support for this program to cover:

• Registration for National Advocacy Days
• Meals (except while traveling to/from DC)
• Hotel accommodations (3 hotel nights)
• Travel to/from Washington, DC

Youth Advocates will receive instructions for making their travel arrangements once registration opens for National Advocacy Days. Hotel reservations for all Youth Advocates and staff chaperones will be made by Y-USA.

Trainings & Assignments

To ensure that all Youth Advocates are as prepared as possible for their role at National Advocacy Days, all participants are required to attend four virtual training sessions, all of which take place on Sundays from 4:00-5:00pm ET (recordings will be emailed to Youth Advocates after each session is complete). Trainings will cover topics related to the YMCA’s mission and history, Y-USA’s state & federal advocacy efforts, Y-USA Legislative Priorities and how to tell your Y story, and logistics for National Advocacy Days.

As part of their training, Youth Advocates must also complete a series of assignments. These assignments will focus on connecting with your local YMCA and community, interviewing a peer within the Youth Advocate Program to learn more about their state and Y experience, and developing a plan of action for your time in DC.

Program Chaperones

>> Click here to apply to be a Youth Advocate Program Chaperone. Applications close on September 30, 2025 at 11:59pm Hawaiian Standard Time.

Y-USA invites full-time YMCA staff, specifically youth development professionals, to apply to serve as a staff chaperone for the 2026 Youth Advocate Program at National Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C.

Serving as a staff chaperone is a full-time commitment, from the moment of arrival until departure. Staff chaperones will have access to all National Advocacy Days content, materials and sessions, and will participate in all Youth Advocate programming.

Y-USA will cover registration, travel, and hotel costs for all chaperones.

Please review the chaperone requirements below before applying:

• Chaperones must be full-time YMCA staff
• Chaperones must make the safety and well-being of the Youth Advocates in our care the top priority. Chaperones will be required to sign YMCA of the USA’s Child Abuse Prevention Policies and Code of Conduct, and complete two free online Praesidium trainings on child abuse prevention and mandatory reporting. Y-USA will also verify that chaperones have had a Y-USA approved background check conducted within the past two years.
• Chaperones must have YMCA experience working with high school students.
• Chaperones must be committed to youth as changemakers and creating opportunities for young people to elevate their voices. Chaperones must be able to create an environment that enables youth to lead and empower their peers to engage.
• Chaperones must be familiar with advocacy and the role it plays in strengthening community.
• Chaperones must maintain the Y’s position as a non-partisan organization while facilitating Youth Advocate programming.
• Chaperone must arrive on Sunday, March 1 by 1pm ET and depart on Wednesday, March 4 no earlier than 5pm ET. Accommodations can be made if traveling from the West Coast to DC.