OUR MISSION:Empower youth to serve as agents of change in diabetes communities around the world. OUR OBJECTIVES:1. Empower passionate youth to become leaders of social change.2. Strengthen local diabetes communities by promoting youth leadership 3. Motivate youth with diabetes to live happier and healthier lives.

International , International Development

Ayuda volunteer training program pre-program training is well established at ayuda. In 2014, ayuda continued to improve its volunteer training process with additional online training sessions (vtp e-course) to supplement in-person training in washington, dc (vtp summit). Additional cultural orientation took place in-country. The purpose of the ayuda volunteer training program (vtp) is to prepare ayuda volunteers to serve as agents of change in the diabetes communities where they will volunteer. The ayuda vtp offers a comprehensive, culturally aware, and well-received approach to diabetes education, social entrepreneurship, and leadership training. Focusing on ayuda's founding principle of youth leadership and empowerment, ayuda trained and placed 38 volunteers abroad in 2014. Ayuda expanded its volunteer training program in 2014 to include an additional training period for this year's pilot world diabetes day program in the dominican republic. From september through november, wdd volunteers underwent an intensive vtp e-course adapted from ayuda's standard vtp program, to prepare them for their time in-country. Additionally, ayuda launched its first ever fall volunteer training summit during which wdd volunteers met ayuda's local partners and received the quality pre-program training that ayuda provides for its summer volunteers. This year also saw the launch of ayuda's volunteer mentor university (vmu) training initiative. Volunteer mentors gathered in washington dc during ayuda's fall training summit and learned about their new roles and responsibilities. The vmu program has further defined these expectations, as well as given volunteer mentors the opportunity to be more involved in the inner workings of ayuda and therefore gain insight into non-profit management. As a result of this training, volunteer mentors have played a larger role in this year's recruitment initiatives, volunteer training planning, and volunteer management. Volunteer mentors followed up their initial fall training with another in-person training in washington dc in february 2015. Dominican republic (dr) volunteer programs ayuda continued its support and collaboration with aprendiendo a vivir (aav) in the dominican republic 2014. Aav is ayuda's local partner in the dominican republic, and ayuda has been partnering with the organization since 2009. Ayuda conducted 3 volunteer programs in the dr in 2014. During the winter and spring of 2014, ayuda had two in-country liaisons living in santo domingo and working with aav to assist with everyday operations and plan for ayuda's upcoming programs. In addition, staff and volunteers conducted a site visit to the dr in april that focused on partnership building, capacity building for development of a comprehensive diabetes outreach strategy, and coordination of the in-country ayuda volunteer programs. Dr gan mosle program in its second year as a full program, ayuda built on the success of last year's "gan mosle la carrera a la diabetes" (let's beat diabetes race) program by increasing the capacity of the program to 15 volunteers. Ayuda volunteers supported aav in hosting their third annual 5 and 10k run/walk in santo domingo to raise awareness about diabetes and the importance of exercise. The volunteers visited local gyms and public spaces to promote event registration and fitness education. Volunteers also spoke on local radio shows and made appearances on television to promote the event. Overall, more than 3,000 people participated in the events. Dr campo amigo programayuda recruited and trained a team of 15 talented volunteers to work in close collaboration with aav. After undergoing intensive pre-program training, ayuda volunteers arrived in santo domingo to prepare diabetes education outreach programs. This year continued a new trend of approximately 50% of ayuda volunteers living with type 1 diabetes. To become acquainted with aav and learn more about the local context in the dominican republic,