Welcome to the 2026 National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening Awards Application!
Each year, the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) offers a limited number of awards to celebrate the work and support the participation of breastfeeding and lactation advocates and leaders at the National Breastfeeding Conference and Convening (NBCC). We are happy you are here and eager to review your submission!
Read each award category carefully to determine the best fit for nominating yourself or others. If you are nominating someone other than yourself, you must provide valid contact details for them. Each applicant will be evaluated by USBC’s Awards Committee using a scoring rubric to determine potential awardees. Please ensure your application includes achievements, programmatic outcomes, goals, and challenges.
By submitting this application, you acknowledge that participation in the 2026 National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening in Bethesda, Maryland, from June 3-5, is a key component of this opportunity. Travel expenses, lodging, and meal stipends will be provided to selected and confirmed award recipients. Final attendance will be confirmed after selections are made.
This application is expected to take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete. Some questions allow you to submit a video response via a link to a platform of your choice (Google Drive, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.). To review these questions before beginning this application, download the 2026 NBCC Awards Essay Checklist. To download a copy of this application, click here before beginning your submission. We ask that you only start the application when you are ready to submit it in its entirety.
The application deadline is Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Please email Erin Fortuna at efortuna@usbreastfeeding.org with any questions or concerns related to this application. Awards Categories
| Hamlin-Taylor Community Impact Leader Award | Honors Mona Lisa Hamlin and Emily Taylor and recognizes leaders who demonstrate meaningful community impact through their work to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding and human milk feeding for mothers and lactating parents. |
| Native Knowledge Award | Honors talented and dedicated individuals who identify as American Indian/Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Indigenous peoples of the United States, including Indigenous peoples from U.S. Territories. Native Knowledge Awardees use their Native knowledge, cultural teachings, and community-rooted leadership to advance the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding and human milk feeding in their communities. We recognize Indigenous communities in all states and territories and welcome applications that reflect the full breadth of Native knowledge and lived experience across all U.S. jurisdictions. |
| Cultural Changemaker Award | Celebrates leaders and members of cultural breastfeeding coalitions and community-based organizations who are actively protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding and human milk feeding in priority populations. |
We appreciate your time and look forward to connecting with you soon.
Sincerely,
The USBC Awards Committee 
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