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SEPTEMBER 2019
PATIENT STORY
For 42 years, the only food that Maria could eat was what her two teeth could grind down, and all she could say were the few sounds that she could form with a gap in the roof of her mouth.
Countless meals left on the plate. Countless thoughts left unsaid. For far too long.
Maria was willing to do whatever it took to access the care that she needed. Even a 10-hour journey from her village to the clinic in Managua, Nicaragua, couldn't deter her.
When she arrived, Operation Smile Nicaragua and the Exchange for Smiles team were ready and eager to help.
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THE SNAPSHOT RECAP
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NEW PROGRAM SIMMERING
When research showed a possible connection between cooking over an open flame and a rise in children being born with cleft conditions, Operation Smile Student Programs dispatched longtime volunteer Holly Zoeller, a junior at the University of Louisville, to San Cristobal, Mexico, to take a deeper look.
Holly's findings will become the foundation of a new program that sends university students to Mexico so that they can provide stoves that safely vent smoke from inside homes. Keep an eye on the @osstudpro Instagram page for more details about this emerging pilot program.
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HITTING THE BOOKS
University students from Hampton Roads kicked off August with a planning session at Operation Smile Global Headquarters in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to hash out plans and bat around ideas for the fall semester.
Are you a university student who wants to get more involved? Check out these opportunities for undergrads:
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@OSSTUDPRO 101
Here's your monthly update from the College Leadership Council by representative Molly Case:
The 2019-20 College Leadership Council met for the first time this August at Operation Smile Global Headquarters and got to work planning for the upcoming semester. Each representative has been assigned a region in the U.S. They will serve these regions as an adviser, reaching out to currently registered clubs as well as helping to start new ones. We're also really looking forward to our second annual Step UP conference to be held in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this January. Registration is set to open on Sept. 17, and we hope to host students from all over the country for an amazing and collaborative weekend filled with a variety of exciting guest speakers.
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STUDENT PROGRAMS PLANS AND PROJECTS
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CHIP IN
Be all that AND a bag of chips: Send us a selfie with the specially designed Lay's smile bag and you could be a part of our "Chip in Tuesdays!" Every week, we'll post our favorites to help Operation Smile and Lay's spread smiles.
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ISL-SEE YOU SOON
It may be our 29th annual International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC), but it's our first time bringing our conference with a cause to Latin America! Don't miss our weeklong gathering, which will take place July 13-19 in Lima, Peru.
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LEAD IN LIMA
Want to be that awesome Team Leader or Associate Team Leader who makes ISLC a fun and profound experience for every participant? Well, what are you waiting for?
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RIDING THE WAKE
Harness the momentum from #ISLC2019 as you head into the school year by scrolling through our conference blog for inspiration.
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BE A LEA-DER
Just like ISLC, our annual Latinoamerica en Accion (LEA) conference brings together student volunteers from a dozen countries for a week of cause and camaraderie. #LEA2020 will take place Jan. 20-25 in Armenia, Colombia.
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STEP TO IT
On Sept. 20, registration will open for our second annual Step UP Symposium. Speakers will show our undergraduate volunteers that no matter what they're studying, Operation Smile needs their time and talent.
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BE THEIR VOICE
As U-Voice student storytellers, undergrads attend a medical mission and interview Operation Smile patients and volunteers who make that mission the special time it's sure to be. Applications will open at the end of September.
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BE AN EDUCATOR
Select high school students will have the opportunity to teach the fundamentals of health care to our youngest patients during a medical mission.
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SKYPE WITH JEN
Bring Operation Smile into your classroom and sign up for Skype lessons with Jennifer McKendree, associate vice president of Operation Smile Student Programs. Send her an email to discuss topics and timing.
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ALUM-NIGHT OUT
Paint the town red — and blue — with your fellow alumni of Operation Smile Student Programs! Keep your eyes on our @osstudpro Instagram for more information regarding the launch of an alumni network where regional events will be hosted in Virginia Beach and New York City.
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ADVOCATES IN ACTION
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These one-day leadership conferences are like mini-ISLCs — packed with inspiring speakers and new friends. Ten middle schools from across Hampton Roads joined us for a U-Lead in Virginia Beach, and after a U-Lead in Peru, this is what Team Leader Marcela Flores had to say. "Me and my team are like siblings now. I want to do this again."
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CLUBS: The clubs at the University of South Carolina and Perry High School in Arizona had a smashing start to their school year, each school rallying more than 100 members.
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ECUADOR
Decor and donations: Not only did volunteers decorate for the Guayaquil mission, but they also made kits for the children with donations of toothbrushes, towels, toilet paper, soap, toothpaste and a toy.
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MEXICO
Take a page from these volunteers' book: These kind students helped the foundation in Mexico organize files from past medical missions.
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GUATEMALA
In Guatemala, students made a promotional stand at Monte María school to raise funds for Operation Smile.
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PANAMA
Spearheaded by longtime volunteer Valentina Donado, young people shared their stories of change and chaos at the first Youth Voice Forum and raised $4,900 for Operation Smile.
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HONDURAS
Putting the pedal to the medals: Each runner who took part in the annual Operation Smile race received a medal at the end of the course.
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COLOMBIA
Twenty-eight teams served up perishable foods for the foundation's patients and their families as part of the "Copa Sonrisas" volleyball tournament.
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PENNSYLVANIA: A cause close to our hearts was on display during the Pennsylvania Regional Leadership Council's recent gathering: They all practiced hands-only CPR, a skill our students have taught during medical missions in more than a dozen countries.
NEW JERSEY: The New Jersey Regional Leadership Council was all smiles during its mini-golf get-together ahead of the school year.
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VIRGINIA: Here's a sweet story: Bella and Pippa Bray's lemonade stand didn't just make people smile — it raised $645 for Operation Smile, making surgery possible for two patients.
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MEDICAL MISSION MOMENTS
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PANAMA
Serve and learn: After a week of Spanish-immersion classes at Operation Smile Global Headquarters, a select team of rising ninth graders headed to Panama and spent a week engaging with communities across the country and trying to connect people living with cleft with the organization. They also worked in elementary schools across the country and taught the fundamentals of health care.
"I think that our ninth graders broadened their perspective and learned what it really means to be a global citizen," said Sara Hatfield, a sophomore at the University of Maryland who helped to lead the team. "They experienced firsthand what it's like to engage in service learning, how to reflect on their own experiences in life and how to be globally minded."
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MISSION BOUND
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Students on deck to serve: We're sending international students to the following medical mission sites:*
- Mahajanga, Madagascar, Sept. 11-22
- Mengzi, China, Sept. 18-24
- Guatemala City, Guatemala, Sept. 27 to Oct. 4
* Schedule subject to change. See the Operation Smile website for details.
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