I wanted to learn how to help educate others, especially parents and caregivers when it came to epilepsy awareness.
That was it. What I didn’t know was that I would gain a whole new network of friends, and colleagues.
Over the years, I’ve volunteered with specific nonprofit organizations and after my time served was up, or I needed to take some time off, all forms of communication were cut off.
This time was different. The Epilepsy Foundation of America became my new volunteer home.
What’s so different about serving as an Epilepsy Awareness Ambassador?
For starters, it was easy to see the level of organization and planning involved to set everyone up for success. The leadership provides monthly workshops, training programs, and even social events for Ambassadors to connect and learn from one another and professionals in the medical field. While I do enjoy learning directly from public health education experts, my favorite parts about coming together as a group are the team building exercises that allows for time to learn more about each other’s personal stories.
Another great thing about getting involved as an Epilepsy Awareness Ambassador is that there are plenty of opportunities to explore interests while helping others. Some volunteers spread epilepsy awareness through participation in social media activities. Others prefer to commit to supporting other volunteers within the Ambassador team.
I enjoy both of those options, but lately I’ve been doing quite a bit of community outreach and some behind the scenes work with the Learning Management Systems support team. On the LMS team I help improve the user experience for those accessing the on-demand from the new Epilepsy Learning Portal.
The best part about being an Epilepsy Awareness Ambassador is that all of the experiences have allowed me to take part in opportunities outside of the core group by connecting with other organizations, collaborating on projects, and creating different ways to empower parents, caregivers, and of course, those who have epilepsy.
From time-to-time people reach out to me wanting to learn more about how they can get involved with the Epilepsy Foundation of America and what is required of them as an Epilepsy Awareness Ambassador.
My short answer: Get certified in seizure first aid, attend an Epilepsy Awareness Ambassador Info Session, and determine how much time you are able to commit each month.
A more official answer: An Epilepsy Awareness Ambassador will work to virtually grow epilepsy awareness across their community by engaging in monthly activities that promote the Epilepsy Foundation’s mission, programs, and education objectives.
If you want to learn more about becoming an Epilepsy Awareness Ambassador, you should attend an information session to see if it’s a fit for you.