girl scouts of the colonial coastGirl Scout Ambassador Roxanne earned her Gold Award by completing her project titled, “Curtie Goes to the Congo, Pt II.” Roxanne worked with Cathy Snyders of Operation Smile to write and illustrate a book and lesson plans geared towards elementary aged children to help them understand cleft palates, a condition that affects babies born around the world. Roxanne’s book teaches about understanding, empathy and Operation Smiles’ mission to make a difference, all published in five different languages.
Operation Smiles, headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, works around the globe to provide dental care and cleft repairs to underserved regions. Operation Smiles volunteers often provide dental care to families in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which inspired Roxanne and Snyders to make it the focus of their book. In the book, Curtie the frog shares his experience with a cleft lip and palate and how where you come from in the world can often affect the care you receive.
Roxanne’s book was published and is available for purchase at the Operations Smiles shop and was donated to six area elementary schools. Because the book is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Hindi and French, volunteers will be able to take copies around the world to all the areas they serve.
Roxanne, thank you for making the world a better place!
