My ADA
The American Diabetes Association is a non-profit health organization. Our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of everyone affected by diabetes.
Living with diabetes can be hard. We're here to help you and make life a little easier. The following are some of the programs and resources for kids and teens with diabetes and their families.
What's Happening at My ADA?
Each summer, thousands of kids and teens attend an American Diabetes Association's Camp and have a great time. Each Camp is different. Some are overnight camps and some are day camps and each offer different kinds of activities. But even though they're all a little different one thing is the same. They're fun (and safe too).
Camp is a place where kids and teens don't feel like the only one with diabetes because almost everyone at Camp has diabetes too. At Camp, campers learn more about themselves, learn more about diabetes, build friendships and most importantly, have fun.
Learn more about Diabetes Camp.
Family link is your link to other families with kids or teens with diabetes in your community. Through Family Link, you and your family can learn more about diabetes, find support and most importantly meet others who understand.
Family Link offers:
- Parent Mentors. If you were just diagnosed, you and your parents probably have a lot of questions. Parent Mentors are parents with kids or teens with diabetes who are trained to help you and your family live everyday with diabetes.
- Local Events. These events can range from basketball game nights to weekend retreats. These events are opportunities to learn more about diabetes and interact with other families.
- Safe at School Trainings. If you run into any problems managing diabetes at school, Family Link offers Safe at School trainings for your parents as well as school teachers so they can learn how to help you stay safe at school.
Usually, Family Links are led by a parent volunteer. Ask your mom or dad if they want to be an American Diabetes Association volunteer!
Learn more about Family Link.
An advocate is a person who believes in something and works in their community to make a change for their belief. Become a Diabetes Advocate and join others working to improve the lives of people living with diabetes. It may be about working to end discrimination against people with diabetes, getting more money for research for a cure for diabetes or finding new ways to help people live better with diabetes. Lend your voice, time and efforts to Stop Diabetes.
Each year, one young person is chosen to represent the Association as the National Youth Advocate (NYA). The NYA position is open to young people ages 9-17 years old with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Candidates should have either experience or a willingness to speak publicly at various events throughout the year, and should be available to travel with a parent or guardian.
Learn more about the National Youth Advocate.
Do you like to walk, bike, run, dance? The Assocation has many fun and interactive events that you can rally your friends and family around to raise money for diabetes education, research and advocacy.
A few you should check out include:
Find a Camp Near You
The American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Camps provide a special time for kids with diabetes — one of the best times of the summer and one campers always remember.
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