Operation Smile
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Welcome to the home page of Operation Smile! Our club is committed to help raise awarness for kids with clef pallettes through the international group Operation Smile which organizes and performs cleft lip and palate surgery in developing countries. Our club meets twice a month in Ms. Tong's room! For more information about our club contact Club President Lexi Patterson at ABOUT OPERATION SMILE INTERNATIONAL Mission Statement: Mobilizing a world of generous hearts to heal children’s smiles and transform lives across the globe. Our Beginning When Operation Smile began in 1982, no one imagined it would grow and expand so quickly, capturing the hearts and vision of people around the world dedicated to changing lives. Today, over 130,000 children around the globe no longer suffer from facial deformities. But, changing children's lives doesn't begin and end with surgeons and nurses alone. It's the compassion, energy and selfless service of students who make an impact on the world, one smile at a time. On one of the first Operation Smile missions, Co-founder Kathy Magee witnessed the patience and sensitivity her teenage daughter Brigette displayed while comforting a small child after surgery. The impact of the mission had a greater reach than the children who were treated. Upon returning to the U.S., Brigette and her friend Danny Rosin felt compelled to raise funds for a school in the Philippines near Operation Smile’s first mission site. Together, they gathered a group of students willing to give their time and energy to collect funds and books for the school. Exceeding their original goal, the Filipino school was able to build a new wing with the donations and appropriately named it: The Happy Club School. Our Programs: International Medical Missions Operation Smile has a presence in 51 countries. Last year, medical volunteers provided free surgeries for 10,868 children through international and local, in-country medical missions. Operation Smile’s program countries include: Bolivia • Brazil • Cambodia • China • Colombia • Ecuador • Egypt • Ethiopia • Gaza Strip/West Bank • Haiti • Honduras • India • Jordan • Kenya • Mexico • Morocco • Nicaragua • Panama • Paraguay • Peru • Philippines • Russia • Thailand • Venezuela • Vietnam Chapters & Foundations Operation Smile has Global Resource Chapters that raise funds and awareness to support its programs. Mission teams are hosted by International Foundations that are responsible for all in-country mission logistics and that also raise funds and awareness throughout the year. U.S. Care Network Operation Smile also provides a network of resources to assist families in the U.S. with children born with facial deformities. This network is accessed through the Operation Smile Website and includes a listing of Referral Websites plus a Physician Resource List with the names of doctors available to review a case. Education Operation Smile provides a framework for its partner countries to come together to share knowledge, technology and skills through the use of programs customized to each country’s specific medical infrastructure. University partnerships offer Operation Smile medical volunteers training in advanced techniques and provide opportunities including fellowships, emeritus professorships and visiting professorship programs. The annual Operation Smile Physicians’ Training Program (PTP) brings surgeons from around the world to the United States for training in specialized surgical skills. Student Programs More than 500 Operation Smile Student Associations in the United States and around the world build awareness, raise funds and educate students about the values of commitment, leadership and volunteerism. Our Achievements Since 1982, more than 130,000 children have been treated by thousands of volunteers in Central and South America, Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia and thousands of healthcare professionals have been trained globally. Operation Smile commemorated its 25th Anniversary with a year-long, multi-faceted series of initiatives to promote sustainability and capacity-building among its partner countries. The anniversary celebration culminated in November 2007, with the World Journey of Smiles, 40 simultaneous missions in 25 countries, providing new smiles and new lives for 4,086 children living with facial deformities. Operation Smile has been distinguished by many prestigious awards, including the first $1 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to recognize outstanding contributions made to alleviate human suffering, and in 2007, the President's Call to Service Award. OPERATION SMILE STUDENT PROGRAMS: When Operation Smile began in 1982, no one imagined it would grow and expand so quickly, capturing the hearts and vision of people around the world dedicated to changing lives. Today, over 130,000 children around the globe no longer suffer from facial deformities. But, changing children's lives doesn't begin and end with surgeons and nurses alone. It's the compassion, energy and selfless service of students who make an impact on the world, one smile at a time. The Beginning On one of the first Operation Smile missions, Co-founder Kathy Magee witnessed the patience and sensitivity her teenage daughter Brigette displayed while comforting a small child after surgery. The impact of the mission had a greater reach than the children who were treated. Upon returning to the U.S., Brigette and her friend Danny Rosin felt compelled to raise funds for a school in the Philippines near Operation Smile’s first mission site. Together, they gathered a group of students willing to give their time and energy to collect funds and books for the school. Exceeding their original goal, the Filipino school was able to build a new wing with the donations and appropriately named it: The Happy Club School. About Student Programs: Operation Smile depends on students around the world, to contribute their energy and passion, even for a brief moment, to help make a child smile. More than 500 Operation Smile Student Clubs around the globe build awareness, raise funds and educate students about our core values of commitment, leadership and volunteerism. Student leaders are a valuable asset to every international medical mission. Operation Smile sends two volunteer students leaders and a student sponsor on international medical missions to help educate children and families about burn care and prevention, oral rehydration therapy, nutrition and dental hygiene. When students help children in need, they learn firsthand how they can make an impact on the world and help heal humanity. |
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