Operation Smile Student Programs Philippines

🦅 Operation Smile Presents Life-Changing Programs: A Heartfelt Invitation to All Johnians to Transform Lives, One Smile at a Time ❣️

The Operation Smile team who led the presentation and conversations with our Grade 10 and 11 Johnians included Miss Janis Ian Vasquez, Medical Education and Student Programs Manager of Operation Smile Philippines Foundation; Zenna Howlette, Student Volunteer from Operation Smile Student Programs US; and Christie Plumb, International Volunteer and PACU Nurse from Operation Smile Australia.

Johnians, fueled by our core values of God-centeredness and Concern for Others, showed warm interest and great enthusiasm to actively participate in Operation Smile’s Student Program.

Operation Smile Philippines' Student Program empowers young people to transform compassion into meaningful action through advocacy, education, leadership, and service. Students actively raise awareness, support patients, and lead initiatives that bring hope to families affected by cleft conditions.

Through projects like U-Lead—a leadership platform that trains students to become compassionate changemakers—as well as clean water efforts, oral health education, nutrition programs, and the Smile on Air podcast, participants gain hands-on experience in making a difference. The program also offers valuable opportunities for volunteerism, community outreach, and participation in the International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC), fostering a new generation of empathetic and proactive youth leaders.

Operation Smile is a non-profit medical organization that provides free cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to children and young adults. Their mission is to bring hope and healing by restoring smiles and improving the quality of life for those affected by cleft conditions.

✨ This World Smile Day, we’re celebrating the power of a simple smile and the stories that make them possible. ✨

We’re excited to welcome our very first guest, Emiliano Romano, in the pilot episode of Smile On Air! Join us as we take you on a journey of volunteering and discovering cleft care for the first time. Hear firsthand how one mission can transform not only the lives of patients but also the heart of a volunteer.

Let’s celebrate World Smile Day together, on air! 🎙️

📅 Today, October 3, 2025
🕕 6 PM
📍 Facebook Live

Caption by: Aira Villanueva
Graphics by: Charmaine Chua, Juliana Subia