The Banter-bassador Program
The Banter-bassador program equips young people between the ages of 15-25 with the knowledge and skills to practice socially responsible body image advocacy.
During this 5-week mentorship program, youth ambassadors nurture their curiosity in body image topics and develop skills to ideate and realize a social impact project in a timely manner.
Program Highlights:
This program is capped at 10 ambassadors and is supervised by our team of psychology-trained staff (ratio of 1 staff member per 3-4 ambassadors).
Throughout their time with us, our ambassadors attend a series of virtual and in-person workshops, and have access to one-on-one mentorship opportunities with Body Banter’s staff.
After graduating from the program, ambassadors will continue to have access to our online Discord community. This community platform offers access to our ambassador-exclusive webinar events, resources, and networks.
Program Structure:
Week #1: Upon entering the Banter-bassador program, youth ambassadors participate in an orientation workshop that provides a basic introduction to Body Banter’s mission and vision, and fundamental body image terminologies and concepts. At the end of the first week, youth ambassadors submit their “I Banter because” statement, which describes their rationale for becoming a body image advocate.
Weeks #2 - #4: In the second week of the program, ambassadors participate in an ‘Idea Ignition’ workshop that offers guidance on how to generate ideas for and implement a socially responsible advocacy project. Ambassadors will then spend two weeks working on their project, during which they will have access to ‘virtual coffee chat hours’ with our psychology-trained staff.
Week #5: In the final week of the program, ambassadors prepare a 5-7 minute final presentation about their key takeaways from the program. This presentation is then shared at our in-person program graduation ceremony.
Why is mentorship during advocacy important?
Our youth ambassadors often come to us with a lot of great ideas but no idea where to begin. During the Banter-bassador program, we aim to equip them with the tools to explore their topics of interest, on their own terms.
Our staff do this through providing basic education surrounding body image and mental health topics, connecting them with peers and professionals within the Body Banter network, and helping them brainstorm ways to best convey an advocacy message to their communities.
Program Pillars
Innovate
Through hands-on project ideation and creation, we empower passionate and motivated youth to transform interest and curiosity into socially impactful action.
Collaborate
Our small cohort size and regular mentorship opportunities throughout the program foster teamwork skills, expose youth to diverse perspectives, and help youth take a broader perspective on addressing body image issues in society.
Energize
The program incorporates interactive and hands-on activities to empower youth advocates in realizing and taking ownership of their projects. By offering support whilst encouraging independent work and exploration, we establish a strong foundation for ongoing investigation of body image topics beyond the program's duration.
Testimonials
“I began my Body Banter journey as a junior in high school who was searching for a community that could harbor all the feelings I had about body image, eating disorders, and mental health-- Body Banter was just that! As a current college student, I can easily say that Steph and Natalie have both helped me grow into the advocate I am today, guiding me along the way and hosting an environment in which I have the space to share my story. Body Banter has really given me a great opportunity and platform to grow and change unapologetically, all while striving to help others and myself in the process.”
— Isabella Mason
“I have begun to share what I have learned from nature, friends, authors, philosophers, and my own life experiences on my Body Banter column, Stillness with Sierra. I also curated a collection of Body Banter blog posts into a book this past spring. Articulating any lesson I have learned into a meaningful and relatable article is like baking a cake: I have all the ingredients already within me, I just have to mix them together in the right proportions to achieve a taste and consistency that we can all enjoy. I believe that with proper guidance and practice, anyone can do this and reap the benefits of self-expression. Luckily, Body Banter is a safe place to do just that.”
— Sierra Winters
“I can single-handedly thank Body Banter for carrying me on my journey of self-love. By being an advocate, I have adopted positive practices that slowly changed not only my life but the lives of those around me. Steph has been a big role model for me, and I continuously find myself looking at her determination and eloquence to inspire me to keep pursuing my own happiness. Through the inspiration that I find in this program and the people who run it, I have found motivation that I didn't know I had. Body Banter has given me the confidence to be vulnerable- making me a better advocate than I ever thought I would be.”
— Zoe Eagan
Eligibility
Requirements:
Aged 15-25
Curious to learn more about body image and mental health topics
Excited to work in a collaborative team setting and to learn new skills!
Application
Our next program application cycle will begin at the end of September, 2023.
**Look out for our recruitment announcements on Instagram!