Aaron Prager — Youth Advocacy Leader, Breakthrough T1D
Aaron completed all five advocacy challenges and was named a Breakthrough T1D Youth Advocacy Leader.
Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF)
Verifying this award
Breakthrough T1D does not publish a public roster of Youth Advocacy Leaders. The certificate above is the official record, signed by the organization’s Chief Global Advocacy Officer.
The Youth Advocacy Leader (YAL) program is how Breakthrough T1D — formerly JDRF — trains young people with Type 1 diabetes to advocate for research funding and better care. Joining is not automatic: candidates work through five advocacy challenges first.
Aaron completed all five and was recognized as a Youth Advocacy Leader on February 3, 2025. The certificate and welcome letter were signed by Lynn Starr, Breakthrough T1D’s Chief Global Advocacy Officer.
The welcome letter puts the point of the program plainly: by completing the challenges, he had “proven that you believe in the power of advocacy,” and was ready to use his voice to help cure, prevent, and better treat T1D. Youth Advocacy Leaders receive action alerts and opportunities to share their story and advocate within their own communities.
This came first. Five months later Aaron was selected as one of the Massachusetts delegates to the 2025 Children’s Congress, where that advocacy went to Capitol Hill in person.
Welcome letter from Breakthrough T1D’s Chief Global Advocacy Officer. Aaron’s home address has been redacted.