Starting a Chapter
What is an EYEsee Chapter
An EYEsee Chapter is a youth organization that replicates the effort of EYEsee in their school, church or local community. It shares in the mission and work of EYEsee, primarily by running collection projects in conjunction with EYEsee’s annual used eyeglasses collection campaign. A chapter can either be a student organization, school club, youth ministry or youth service group.
The motivation to form an EYEsee Chapter springs from the desire by students and youth groups to engage their school, church or local community in poverty- alleviation projects that impact the lives of people in developing countries. A chapter provides a simple way for students or youth groups to be involved in a mission outreach project to the poor in the developing countries of the world.
An EYEsee Chapter is headed by a president who represents the local chapter to the EYEsee organization. The president organizes the chapter, plan projects and recruits members. She/he plans drives the chapter collection project when they roll out. At the conclusion of his/her term, the chapter president recommends her/his replacement to EYEsee.
EYEsee assists the formation and growth of the chapters by offering mentoring resources and tools to help organize the chapters and have their collection projects started quickly and running smoothly. EYEsee publicizes chapter activities and provide the chapters with updates on how their projects have made a difference in the lives of the poor in many areas of the world. EYEsee invites chapters to leadership conferences on global poverty-alleviation projects.
What are the benefits of membership in an EYEsee Chapter
Students and youth teams benefit in many ways from their membership in an EYEsee Chapter. Because EYEsee’s outreach is to the global communities, chapter members learn to think more globally. They gain a sense of community-the benefit of service and responsibility to both their own community and the world’s communities. An EYEsee chapter provides real-life experiences that extend student learning beyond the classroom. Members put their knowledge into action during the planning and implementation of their projects. The challenges that members are presented with their projects require creative solutions with practical outcomes, typically in the context of business. Members learn public speaking, presentation, goal setting, scheduling, consensus building and project implementation. The knowledge, skills and experience gained through chapter membership prepare students and youth groups for college and careers after college.