Over 400 Students from Around the World Convene for the Cause of Helping Children with Facial Deformities

More than 400 high school and college students from around the world will meet at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va., to learn how they can help children suffering from facial deformities. This conference has two distinct programs, the Mission Training Workshop, from July 31-August 3, and the International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC), from August 4-8, both of which will encourage students to embrace a lifetime of volunteerism at home and in the global community. The 17th Annual International Student Leadership Conference is hosted by Operation Smile, a worldwide children’s medical charity that provides free surgery for children in developing countries who were born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

Forty students from eight U.S. states, South Africa, Ireland and Paraguay will participate in the Mission Training Workshop. The workshop trains students to effectively teach oral rehydration therapy, burn care and prevention, proper nutrition and dental care to families and patients during Operation Smile international medical missions. The students trained will participate on international medical missions taking place during the next year.

More than 400 students from 22 U.S. states and 15 other countries will participate in Operation Smile’s International Student Leadership Conference. The conference offers students an overview of Operation Smile’s work around the world and teaches them how to be leaders, learning confidence, public speaking, fundraising and club organization.

The goal of ISLC is to educate students on the value of service within their communities and help them establish a lifetime of giving to others. Students will participate in team building activities, compete in field games and complete a service project for future Operation Smile patients. A favorite event is the “International Party” where students display their cultures through costume, dance and representative items from their countries or states. Conference highlights will include talks given by Marci Shimoff, leader and featured teacher in the self-development phenomenon The Secret, as well as 17 year-old Dallas Jessup, author of Young Revolutionaries Who Rock. Jessup’s book and talks are filled with insights for any teen who wants to be a revolutionary for positive change.

James Reid, a high school senior from Cibola High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, serves on the Executive Leadership Council for Operation Smile’s Student Programs. Reid was a student volunteer on a medical mission to Agadir, Morocco, in June 2008 and will be attending the ISLC for the third time. Reid said the first time he attended the ISLC, he didn’t know what to expect and wasn’t very involved with Operation Smile. Reid left the ISLC and Mission Training Workshop ready to make an impact on the world.

“ISLC is an extremely rewarding experience. I left the conference inspired, surrounded by new friends, and excited to become the change I wanted to see in the world. I left the conference knowing that helping others would always be a part of my life,” said Reid.

Operation Smile student volunteer Jessica Smith, a 17-year-old from Virginia Beach, Va., said, “ISLC is so much more than your average youth conference. Last year, I bonded with lifelong friends from all over the globe, had the opportunity to listen to inspiring speakers, and returned home, motivated to work that much harder for an organization I had fallen in love with. Operation Smile’s International Student Leadership Conference has taught me the importance of giving back, creating my own opportunities, and fully realizing the power I possess as part of today’s youth.”

“Operation Smile is unique in its commitment to youth and student education,” said Operation Smile Co-founder and President Kathy Magee. “The spirit of volunteerism shines throughout the United States and the world as thousands of young adults participate in clubs in their high schools and colleges. The greatest illustration of the commitment of youth is found on the medical missions and at the International Student Leadership Conference. Watching students from all over the world join together and work on the skills and knowledge needed to participate on a mission and develop student clubs in their communities is an exhilarating experience.”

Thousands of students in more than 600 schools around the world are involved in the Student Program, raising an estimated $1 million annually for Operation Smile. Through service and leadership, Operation Smile students make a difference in the lives of children worldwide and learn the importance of volunteerism. Since the program began, hundreds of students have participated on medical missions to countries such as the Philippines, Kenya, Cambodia, Brazil, Jordan, China and many other countries in the developing world. The student conference is the educational component of Operation Smile’s Student Programs, providing training and volunteer opportunities for students in education, global awareness, and fundraising.

About Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org)
Founded in 1982, Operation Smile, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is a worldwide children’s medical charity whose network of global volunteers are dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults. Since its founding, Operation Smile volunteers have treated more than 135,000 children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

Operation Smile currently has a presence in 51 countries. In addition to providing free medical treatment and corrective surgeries, Operation Smile trains local medical professionals in its partner countries and leaves behind crucial equipment to lay the groundwork for long-term self-sufficiency.

To participate or speak with student participants,
please contact Scott Vooss at 757-321-7697 or svooss@operationsmile.org