Operation Smile is a large international organization that utilizes smaller organizations within the country to raise money to pay for surgeries for children born with a cleft lip or cleft palate. The group’s main focus is to fund raise and assist the many families that cannot afford these surgeries. Furthermore, Operation Smile student members are offered the opportunity to attend the International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC) in March, where students work together and prepare for missions trips over the summer.

In preparation for the school year, students spent some time last March listening to keynote speakers, creating dances and songs, and participating in team building activities. Junior Caitlin Sullivan was one of the school’s attendees at the ISLC conference,  gaining a better overall understanding of the Operation Smile organization as a whole and why students.

“ISLC was and amazing and eye opening experience. I learned all about the process, time and effort that goes into repairing just one cleft lip or cleft palate. I was able to see the results in person and how it changed lives. I met people from all across the globe with all one common goal that united us. We all wanted to bring happiness to kids who deserved it more than anything. ISLC was an experience I’ll never forget filled with learning an growing as a person,” says member who attended the conference, junior Caitlin Sullivan said.

The Operation Smile club also has a new sponsor, Michelle Clark, who is already implementing new ideas to involve not only the community, but all students. The Falcon Forty Advisory block last week was dedicated mainly to educating younger students about the club and its necessity.

“I think I am most excited about the great group of students that are so willing to be involved this year,” Clark said. ” I have a lot of new ideas that are more inclusive for the whole student body to take out into the community.”

The club has already participated in World Smile Day, raising enough money to provide for two cleft lip surgeries. Upcoming fundraisers include the Operation Smile annual dodge ball tournament.  The time and place are still being decided upon.

Furthermore, numerous students have prepared or are preparing to embark on missions trips around the world this summer to work with children in need of surgeries and to help make a difference in these communities. In fact, senior Ainsley Isenhour was recently sent to Madagascar for two weeks, where she was able to educate families about Operation Smile and its purpose.  She was also able to follow the patients before and after their surgeries.

“Operation Smile truly believes in the power of students and they [Operation Smile] give students the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than just themselves,” Isenhour said.