|
We held our first-ever all-virtual mini International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC) from July 14-18 — the week we all would have been together in Lima, Peru, for our 2020 gathering.
In an effort to Bring Peru to You, we hosted inspiring speakers from Peru and enjoyed daily activities celebrating Peru's beautiful culture.
|
|
|
|
Tune in: If you missed out, no worries! All of the presentations are saved to our @osstudpro Instagram TV, and all the activities have been archived in this live blog.
|
|
|
|
Give back: Feeling inspired? Use the momentum from this mini conference and take on one (or both!) of these virtual service projects:
- Begin #ServingSmiles to health care workers and families in your community
- Make a card for an Operation Smile medical volunteer working on the frontlines of COVID-19
|
|
|
|
Follow along: It's just not ISLC without a talent show, so this year we brought the show to our brand-new @osstudpro TikTok channel! Be sure to follow us to check out the winning acts and keep up with all things Stud Pro.
|
|
|
|
Help us out: We did our best to bring the magic of ISLC to your smartphone, but we know we can always do better. We'd love your feedback to see how we can make our next digital gathering even engaging.
|
|
|
GOING GLOBAL
|
|
|
In the run-up to their first regional digital gathering this August, our team in the United Arab Emirates hosted a virtual U-Lead with 32 students from our clubs at The Cambridge High School and GEMS Cambridge International School Abu Dhabi. Not only did participants learn about Operation Smile and how they can support its patients, but they got to experience the global nature of the organization first-hand: Each of the six teams were captained by a student leader from the UAE and supported by a student leader from Latin America.
|
STUDENT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS
|
|
|
#ServingSmiles: We're so grateful for our friends at Buca di Beppo: Thanks to their generous, ongoing support of our #ServingSmiles initiative, student volunteers safely delivered meals for health care workers at two hospitals, one in California and one in Texas.
The meals, donated by Buca di Beppo restaurants in Campbell and Palo Alto, California, were delivered by students from Milpitas High School to El Camino Hospital in Mountain View. In Austin, Texas, meals from Buca di Beppo were delivered to St. David's Medical Center by students from Vandegrift High School.
|
|
|
Families4Families: We're proud to say that, in just about two months, we've served way more than 15,000 meals for families across Hampton Roads, Virginia — and we're determined to provide even more! With the support of our friends at AidNow and our student leaders across Hampton Roads, we're continuing the effort through August. We welcome leaders like you to join this effort.
|
|
|
|
Start School With a Smile
The new school year is upon many of us, and while it's going to look different, rest assured we're here and eager to support you and your club. As you prep for the school year, here are some easy ways to kick off your school year with Operation Smile:
|
TOP SHOT
|
|
|
Hands-on approach to care: U-Voice student storyteller Nicholas Nottage captured this photo during the February medical mission in Durgapur, India. "I tracked the gloves donated by Ansell, who has been partnered with Operation Smile for four years. Experiencing the charity of organizations like Ansell, as well as health care providers and volunteers from 12 different countries, reinforced the importance of safe surgery and health care professionals working seamlessly as a team."
|
|
|
ADVOCATES IN ACTION
|
|
|
Vampires, werewolves, students — smiles? Like any teenager hooked on a TV show, best friends Sriya Krishnan and Chloe Wise followed their favorite actor from their favorite show, Michael Trevino of the "The Vampire Diaries." Little did they know that this would be the first step in their Operation Smile journey.
|
|
|
|
|
Moments and momentos: Medical missions are such heart-warming moments that it's hard to leave without a heartfelt memento from a new friend. Our student volunteers shared some of the precious trinkets they brought home that will remind them of their friends forever.
|
|
|
|
Virginia Beach: Students in Virginia Beach spent a day sorting clothes that we donated to our friends at AidNow, a local nonprofit that works with people facing homelessness.
AidNow, an amazing partner in our Families4Families effort, will host an August event to donate the back-to-school clothes to local students.
Virginia Beach: Here's a special thank you to our friends at VB Mindful. Maintaining social distance, the organization held a mother-daughter meditation event on the beach in support of Familes4Families.
|
|
|
|
Missouri: Led by Club President Sophia Liu, the club at Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis launched four different service projects for the summer: a #ServingSmiles delivery as well as making greeting cards, sock puppets and smile bags. They're also working on launching and selling T-shirts with a smile design to raise money for surgeries.
More Than Words: If you're about to pursue your graduate degree in audiology or speech-language pathology, check out this scholarship opportunity.
|
ISLC SCHOLARSHIP FUND
|
Investing in the Next Generation
In every edition, we share the story of a student whose ISLC attendance helped them advance their studies and moved them closer to their goals. Today we introduce you to Jack and ask that you consider contributing to our ISLC Scholarship Fund. You can help pave the way for students from 12 low- or middle-income countries to attend our next global gathering of students.
|
|
|
It was the first time in his life that Phan Manh Tung had picked up a baseball — and it was to throw the first pitch at an American Minor League game in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Just before he headed to the mound, the high schooler from Vietnam said he was so nervous and excited that it was hard for him to put it all into words.
But it was easy for his peers to see how wonderful he was. In fact, that’s how he had learned the honor: He was such an active and collaborative member of his team that, when they got to nominate the pitcher, he was the obvious choice.
|
|
|
|
|
STUDENT PROGRAMS IN THE NEWS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operation Smile Student Programs
3641 Faculty Boulevard
Virginia Beach, VA. 23453
1-888-OPSMILE
This email has been sent to you
at [[S1:primary_email]]
If your preferences have changed,
you may unsubscribe at any time.
|
|
