Chapter Champions
A “Champion” is a volunteer member leader (pediatrician member or other member type) who commits to serving as a subject matter expert and may raise awareness of a topic, disseminate resources and educational offerings to key partners, and/or conduct work on a project. "Champions” may also be known as “ambassadors”, “coordinators”, or “facilitators.” Champions are best utilized when they work with AAP National staff and with their AAP chapter and/or AAP district to conduct their respective work. Click each program title below for more information about each Champion program.
Chapter Champions
Adolescent & Young adults Health
The adolescent & Young Adult Health Chapter Champion is a subject matter expert on adolescent & young adult (AYA) health. The chapter champion will work closely with the AAP chapter and AAP National to achieve specific, measurable goals.
Breastfeeding Coordinators
A Chapter Breastfeeding Coordinator (CBC) is an ambassador of the Section on Breastfeeding (SOBr), providing leadership in promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding in their state chapters and communities. A CBC will work to implement the SOBr strategic plan and fulfill the SOBr mission and vision statements within their chapters and communities.​
CATCH Facilitators
The mission of the Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) program is to support pediatricians to collaborate within their communities to advance the health of all children.
CDC's ACT Early Ambassadors
The Act Early Ambassadors are part of the CDC’s Act Early Ambassadors to expand the reach of the “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” (LTSAE) program and support their respective state’s work toward improving early identification of developmental delays and disabilities, including autism.
Climate Advocates
The AAP Chapter Climate Advocates ​network promotes state-level action, advocacy, and member engagement on the issue of climate change and children's health.
Early Career Champions
​The Early Career Chapter Champions will play a crucial role in advancing the chapter’s goals by actively engaging members, participating in chapter activities, and serving as a liaison between the Section on Early Career Physicians (SOECP) and the chapter.
Early Childhood Champions
​The Early Childhood Champions (ECCs) form a network of pediatric experts who can mobilize efforts to address early childhood issues through resource promotion, training, advocacy, and systems building across early childhood settings.
Firearm Injury & Violence Prevention
The Firearm Injury & Violence Prevention Chapter Champion serves as a subject matter expert and connector between the AAP chapter and AAP National on topics related to firearm injury and violence prevention. The Champion supports pediatricians and child health professionals in promoting evidence-informed clinical, community, and policy strategies to reduce firearm injuries and deaths among children, adolescents, and young adults.
Health Equity Champions & EDI Champions
The Chapter Health Equity Champion​ is a volunteer AAP member leader who will contribute to efforts to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion within their chapter and communities. Through collaboration with chapter leaders, the Chapter Health Equity Champion may employ awareness building, education, advocacy, and collaboration to drive meaningful change, foster inclusivity, and advance equity within their chapter's operations and its impact on the communities it serves.
Healthy Mental Development
The AAP Healthy Mental Development (HMD) Chapter Champions program will serve as a network of pediatricians and chapter staff who are passionate about supporting children’s healthy mental development and mental health needs.
Immunization Representatives
The Chapter Immunization Representatives (CIRs) serve as immunization experts and contacts for chapter immunization activities. They are asked to assist in the development and coordination of chapter immunization activities and educational programs; provide technical assistance to chapter leadership, staff, members and other health professionals on immunization-related topics; communicate with the state immunization program; and serve as a liaison between the chapter and national AAP on immunization issues.
Oral Health Advocates
Chapter Oral Health Advocates (COHAs) are pediatricians in each chapter who advocate for children's oral health issues and train others about integrating oral health into primary care. Each COHA is asked to: Deliver at least 4 trainings annually on how to incorporate oral health into the medical home; Advocate for children's oral health issues at the state and local levels; Connect pediatricians to others working in their community to improve children's oral health; Build relationships with dental colleagues in their communities and dental societies to improve access to oral health care.
PROS Chapter Coordinator Committee
Our goal is to improve the health of children and enhance pediatric primary care practice by conducting and fostering national collaborative practice-based research. We are the only national pediatric primary care research network with more than 400 individual practices and over 25,000 individual study participants (children, teens, parents, pediatricians, nonphysician clinicians, and office staff) having participated in at least one AAP PROS study since 2010.
Senior Member Champion
The Senior Member Chapter Champions will play a crucial role in advancing the chapter’s goals by actively engaging members, participating in chapter activities, and serving as a liaison between the Section on Senior Members (SOSM)​ and the chapter. They will also collaboarte with the Section on Early Career Physicians (SOECP) and the Early Career Chapter Champions.
Suicide Prevention Ambassador
AAP Suicide Prevention Ambassadors are trained in youth community suicide prevention strategies described in the Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention and provide leadership, subject matter expertise, and serve as the main point of contact within their chapters to conduct and promote youth suicide prevention activities. AAP Suicide Prevention Ambassadors are paired with a state representative from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) who provides suicide prevention resources, programs, and community connections.
Trauama Informed Care Ambassador
​​Provide leadership and promote the integration of principles of trauma-informed care and relational health within chapter activities. ​Serve as a liaison for the chapter to community and state-public health organizations to foster partnerships and build support for system-level change.
T4CIP (Trainees For Child Injury Prevention)
Trainees for Child Injury Prevention (T4CIP) is a group of trainees from across the country committed to child injury prevention that develops outreach materials and strategies for one-day national advocacy campaigns. This core group of trainees reaches out to other trainees and training programs asking them to participate in each Day of Action by sharing information during their morning report, noon conference, or continuity clinic, as well as sharing information on social media.