Our Youth Ambassadors

ICU baby’s Youth Ambassadors

Youth Ambassador Program

ICU baby’s Youth Ambassador Program is for students, grades 7-12, who are NICU graduates, siblings of NICU babies, or passionate about supporting NICU families. This unique volunteer opportunity allows students to give back through meaningful service and advocacy, while connecting their personal experiences to ICU baby’s mission.

Ambassadors raise awareness about the NICU experience, lead service projects for hospitalized and NICU graduate families, and assist in fundraising efforts. Throughout the year, they develop leadership, communication, and teamwork skills by collaborating with peers and engaging directly with the community to support families facing the challenges of a NICU journey.

ICU baby’s Youth Ambassadors

Applications for ICU baby’s Youth Ambassador Program open August 8, 2025, and close August 24, 2025. Please note: there is no rolling admission—applications must be submitted within this window to be considered.

Students can apply to join our Youth Ambassador Core Group or start a chapter at their school.

Ambassadors participate in a wide range of meaningful activities, including:

Volunteering & creating teams at the ICU baby Hope Parade
Organizing and participating in holiday gift drives
Touring local NICUs to deepen their understanding of the NICU experience
Preparing in-hospital Mother’s Day Baby Showers
Hosting supply drives for NICU families
Planning and staffing NICU Grad Connector events for post-NICU families

Through these opportunities, students make a lasting impact on families in crisis while building leadership, service, and advocacy skills.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for ICU baby’s Youth Ambassador Program, students must:

Be a 7th–12th grade student
Commit to one full school year of service
Attend at least 7 out of 9 monthly Zoom meetings
Participate in the Hope Parade on October 12th and at least two additional ICU baby events
Join at least one committee (e.g., event planning, outreach, marketing, or decor)
Complete two service projects
Be a NICU graduate, sibling of a NICU baby, or have a strong passion for supporting NICU families

Youth Ambassador News

Spring Hoppening Brings Joy to NICU Grad Families

Douglas Park bloomed with laughter and little footsteps as 15 NICU grad families came together for our Spring Grad Connector—The Spring Hoppening! With baskets in hand, excited kiddos dashed through … Read More

Youth Ambassadors Spark the Celebration

30 Youth Ambassadors came together to make our 10th anniversary gala extra special! With energy, enthusiasm, and teamwork, they helped prepare for this milestone celebration by packing swag bags, assembling … Read More

Spreading Valentine’s Day Cheer

NICU families at Holtz Children’s Hospital and South Miami Hospital felt the love at our Valentine’s Day Cuisine and Crafts lunch. Parents were given heart photo frames which they painted … Read More

First Hand Look at NICU Journey

ICU baby’s Youth Ambassadors had the incredible opportunity to tour the NICUs at Baptist Health South Miami Hospital and Holtz Children’s Hospital. During their visits, the ambassadors learned more about … Read More

Carrollton Youth Ambassadors Brighten the Holidays

In the spirit of giving, the girls from the Carrollton Youth Ambassador Chapter gathered to decorate beautiful Christmas tree ornaments for NICU families spending the holidays at the hospital with … Read More

Wrapping Up Holiday Cheer for NICU Families

Looking back on the holiday season, we are filled with gratitude for our incredible ICU baby Youth Ambassadors, who helped bring joy to NICU families in the most heartwarming way! … Read More

First Ever Mother’s Day NICU Baby Shower

ICU baby’s Youth Ambassadors hosted their first Baby Shower at Holtz Children’s Hospital in honor of NICU mothers. The celebration was as part of The Miami Foundation’s 10 Days of … Read More

The Spring Hoppening

With Spring in the air the ICU baby Youth Ambassador chapter at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy has organized a Spring picnic with snacks, games, gifts and activities for NICU … Read More

Showering Families with Love

The ICU baby Youth Ambassadors will host their first Annual NICU Baby Shower – an event to celebrate Mother’s Day. Families with a baby admitted to UM/Jackson Memorial’s Holtz Children’s … Read More

School-Wide Swaddle & Book Drive a Success

St. Agnes Academy in Key Biscayne chose ICU baby for its February service project. Students in PK2 through 3rd grade donated reading books for our NICU packs. The board book … Read More

Students Stepping Up in Support

ICU baby is grateful to the students of Westminster Christian School for hosting a Swaddle Blanket drive in support of our NICU families. Their efforts resulted in the collection of … Read More

Youth Ambassadors are Leading With Passion

ICU baby’s Youth Ambassadors have been hard at work supporting our NICU families and initiatives this Fall. Over 75 Ambassadors volunteered during our Hope Parade and during the preparation for … Read More

100+ Teenagers Join ICU baby’s Youth Ambassador Program

ICU baby’s Youth Ambassador Program experienced its most successful recruitment year yet with over 100 applicants! Middle and high school students from around Miami-Dade County applied to serve a 1 … Read More

Honoring Mothers and Fathers During Difficult Times

Holidays spent in the NICU are not easy. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be especially challenging for NICU parents. This year, we hosted Mother’s Day Lunches and Father’s Day … Read More

NICU Grads Return to Give Hope

ICU baby’s Youth Ambassadors came together to create a car parade of hope for families with a currently admitted baby in the NICU of South Miami Hospital. Families and members … Read More

#NICUSiblingLove!

In celebration of National Siblings Day, April 10, 2023, ICU baby ran a photo contest on social media to honor the precious moments of siblings with a NICU connection. Using … Read More

NICU Grads Return to Give Hope!

The ICU baby Youth Ambassadors will host their 3rd Annual Car Parade of Hope at South Miami Hospital on Sunday, February 5th at 1PM. Families with a currently admitted baby … Read More

Surprising NICU Siblings

McGlannan School & ICU baby’s Youth Ambassadors partnered up and got into the holiday spirit to surprise the brothers and sisters of our NICU babies. McGlannan School collected over 200 … Read More

Packing in Our Community

This Fall brought together several student groups to help ICU baby prepare items for our NICU families. Sixty members of the University of Miami Track & Field and Cross Country … Read More

This Year’s Youth Ambassadors

ICU baby kicks off this year’s Youth Ambassador Program with a record number of members. We look forward to working with a new group of NICU-passionate youth who will help … Read More

Car Parade for Hope presented by ICU baby Youth Ambassadors

The Youth Ambassadors held their 2nd annual Car Parade for Hope at South Miami Hospital to honor NICU babies and their families. Families with a baby admitted in the NICU … Read More

Volunteer Spotlight | Ila Urquidi

Ila Urquidi was born at 32 weeks weighing only 3 lbs 14 oz. After spending 6 long weeks in the NICU, Ila finally reached 5 lbs and was able to … Read More

The Youth Ambassador “Socks of Support” Sale

ICU baby’s Inaugural Youth Ambassador Class organized the first Socks of Support Fundraiser, a project led by youth ambassador, Ila Urquidi, and her mother. Not only did this project raise … Read More

A Mother’s (& Father’s!) Day Celebration

ICU baby celebrated dozens of NICU mothers and their families at Baptist Health’s South Miami Hospital and Holtz Children’s Hospital at UM/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. ICU baby staff, tele-support volunteers, … Read More

ICU baby Youth Ambassadors Making a Difference

Written by Youth Ambassador VP, Stella Bilirakis Although COVID-19 introduced many barriers, ICU baby continued to create interactive experiences for NICU families such as virtual storytimes. In efforts to continue … Read More

A Car Parade to Celebrate World Prematurity Day

Car parade celebrations have defined the happier days of 2020. The ICU baby Team was thrilled when former NICU Mom, Monica Babich, suggested to incorporate this trend in ICU baby’s … Read More

Launching Our Youth Ambassador Program

ICU baby proudly launched its Inaugural Youth Ambassador Committee on September 15th! Fourteen of our community’s youth joined ICU baby in our mission to support families with a critically ill … Read More