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Great Shape! Inc. is service in action. We facilitate a humanitarian dental project, a literacy empowerment program, and an eye-care vision project. Since 1988 Great Shape! Inc. has led dozens of humanitarian projects in Jamaica. Great Shape! partners with Sandals Resorts International, First Book, International Smile Power, the Jamaican Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education. Thanks to all our teammates! Registration Now Open for 1000 Smiles! ... the world's largest, international, humanitarian dental project.
To view project dates, please click on the left menu item "1000 Smiles Volunteer Info-".Volunteers serve in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Negril.
Register Now for SuperKids! Skills to read... Power to lead
Project Dates: November 7, 2009 - November 22, 2009 (choose one or two weeks). Volunteers serve in Ocho Rios.
For more information and to apply to volunteer,
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Read Our Volunteer BLOG!
Great Shape! volunteers report on SuperKids & 1000 Smiles... plus all the most current daily runnings. Click the above link to read more. If you have Great Shape stories, events or pictures you’d like to post,
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1000 Smiles: Reached 20,000 people in schools and clinics
In the fall of 2008, Great Shape facilitated the sixth annual 1000 Smiles dental project. About 150 volunteers traveled to Jamaica from across the U.S. and Canada, to serve in temporary dental clinics and schools. 1000 Smiles recruits dental professionals and civilians alike. Great Shape teams provide cleanings, extractions, sealants and dental hygiene education. The dental professionals handle all the dental care, while the civilians assist, manage patient flow and education. Great Shape Executive Director Joe Wright (Papa Joe) says, “Our volunteers are helping to generate an entire generation of healthy gums and teeth.” That means health, employment, and beautiful smiles! We're so blessed to team up with the Jamaican Ministry of Health, International Smile Power, and Sandals. SuperKids: Reached 9,000 Children in Rural Schools
Skills to read… power to lead.
Also in the fall of 2008, the newly launched SuperKids (literacy empowerment project) improved literacy in seven schools in the Ocho Rios area. Forty volunteers inspired kids and partnered with Jamaican teachers with a reading curriculum, book donations, computers, sports, art and music. The Jamaican Ministry of Education’s Laurel Brent-Harris says, “I love Great Shape’s holistic approach. These volunteers engage the child fully.”
SuperKids attracts volunteers from across the U.S.; educators, computer techs, athletic coaches, dancers and musicians, plus folks who just love kids and believe in education. Great Shape Co-Founder, Gretchen Lee reminds us, “a child who can’t read becomes an adult who struggles in society.” In the schools that partner with Great Shape, the illiteracy rate sits at 60%. However, after working with past Great Shape projects, many schools showed an improvement in test scores. It’s working! Thank you volunteers, Jamaica, Sandals and Ministry of Education.
BIG-UP FOR SANDALS RESORTS INTERNATIONAL!
Sandals Resorts International is Great Shape’s number one sponsor, hosting all the volunteers for free. Plus Sandals has recently launched its own Foundation. Congratulations! From a base of Sandals comfort, volunteers serve in areas surrounding Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Negril. Brian Roper, General Manager of Ocho Rios Grande says, “If you can satisfy one child, you’ve made me so happy it’s not funny… And with partners like Great Shape, let’s just hope it gets bigger and bigger and bigger.”
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