2009-2010 Chapter Community Fellow Application

Important Instructions

Please be sure to save your responses in a document on your computer to avoid losing your work.
The online courses and other material are the foundation for your Unite For Sight experience, and reading the material carefully is necessary to train you in effective programming so that you can make a significant impact. Untrained students would cause harm in the community by propagating false information about eye health, interfering with proper healthcare delivery, and not following Unite For Sight's important chapter policies and procedures. Be sure that your short essays indicate that you read and understood the video and online courses so that Unite For Sight can approve your participation as a volunteer for the organization.
Your training application will be reviewed by Unite For Sight before a decision for approval is made. Incomplete applications will be rejected.
You must complete the training independently, fully, and honestly, and your application must be your own work. We have a fraud detection system. If your submission resembles or plagiarizes the work of any other student, your application will be permanently rejected, and you will not be approved to participate in any capacity with Unite For Sight.
Unite For Sight does not permit applicants to share their applications. Any applicant who shares their application will be disqualified and terminated from participation with Unite For Sight.

3-Step Training Process

Read the online courses and complete the other training material. Submit summaries as instructed on this form (step #1)
Return to http://www.uniteforsight.org/chapter and LOGIN AS VOLUNTEER using your name and password that you select on this application form.
Complete the training requirements in your volunteer login page (step #2)
Contact Emily Lin (elin@uniteforsight.org) in order to set up a 5-10 minute phone interview that is necessary to confirm your understanding of all of the training material, including information about eye health and Unite For Sight policies and procedures. This is step #3.
Upon successfully completing steps #1, #2, and #3, you will be approved as a Community Fellow with Unite For Sight.

Join Unite For Sight's Facebook Group at http://www.facebook.com/uniteforsight

Section I

*First Name and Middle Initial:
*Last Name:
*Address:
*City:
*State:
*Zip:
*Email:
*Confirm Email:
*Country:
*Telephone:
*Birth Date:
*Age:
*Gender:
*Chapter:
Position (If you were assigned by your chapter to an officer position, please select the position from this menu. If you are not an officer, please select "Volunteer"):
*Password:
*Confirm Password:

Section II: Short Essays

This application provides an opportunity for you to learn about Unite For Sight, public health, and eye care. Please be thorough, but succinct. Unite For Sight staff reads every registration application, so be sure to submit quality responses that confirm that you have watched the videos and read the courses. A decision on your application will be made within 2 days. If your application is accepted, you will receive an approval notification upon your successful completion of all of the application and training materials. If your application is denied, you will be sent an email notification.

1. How Unite For Sight Works Please write a 1-paragraph summary. Importance of this article: As a Unite For Sight Community Fellow, it is important for you to be aware of Unite For Sight's global programs and operational structure.
2. Volunteer Ethics and Professionalism Online Course Please write a 1-paragraph summary for each module and focus on details that are most important to your preparation for volunteering with your chapter this academic year. Please clearly label each of your responses with the module number. For example, "MODULE 1: ....", "MODULE 2: ....". Importance of this course: Unprofessional behavior can be a significant problem when volunteering in the community. Any unprofessional conduct reflects poorly on you and your chapter, on your university, and on Unite For Sight, and can harm local health care programs and relationships. The details of this course must remain at the forefront of your mind.
3. Cultural Competency Online Course Please write a 1-paragraph summary for each of the six modules and focus on details that are most important to your volunteering. Please clearly label each of your responses with the module number. For example, "MODULE 1: ....", "MODULE 2: ...." Importance of this course: Cultural competency training and cultural awareness is of paramount importance for those working in a community setting. You must understand language barriers, how to work with translators, cultural differences and cultural understanding.
4. Evidence Based Community Eye Health Online Course. Write a 1-paragraph summary about each of the 6 modules (a total of 6 paragraphs). Discuss how you anticipate that each module will be important to you as a Unite For Sight chapter volunteer. Please clearly label each of your responses with the module number. For example, "MODULE 1: ....", "MODULE 2: ...." Importance of this course: As a Community Fellow, you will encounter community members with a variety of barriers to care. It is important for you to understand barriers to care and be aware of the importance of evidence-based public health practices.
5. Unite For Sight Evidence Based Public Health Programs. Please write a 1-paragraph summary. Importance of this course: This article provides statistics and facts about the barriers to care that you will be working to address as a Community Fellow.
6. Please watch "Unite For Sight in Ghana" and discuss details that you feel will be helpful when you volunteer with your chapter of Unite For Sight. Importance of this film: Unite For Sight Community Fellows fundraise with their chapters, and 100% of all funds raised provide eye care to patients living in extreme poverty in developing countries. This film introduces you to Unite For Sight's global programs and shows the significant impact of all of your fundraising.
7. Guidelines For Evaluating International Community Eye Care Work Write a 1-paragraph summary about Guidelines For Evaluating International Eye Care Work. Importance of this course: Whether volunteering locally or abroad, it is important for all Unite For Sight Community Fellows to understand the best practice principles in ethics, quality, and equality that are integral to delivering health care on a global scale. It is also important to understand the international Unite For Sight programs for which you are fundraising.
8. Read the short article "Module 1: Why Eye Care Is Important" and discuss details that you feel will be helpful when you fundraise with your chapter to support Unite For Sight international eye care programs. Importance of this article: It is important for all Community Fellows to understand why eye care is important in developing countries. While 80% of all blindness is preventable or curable, 36 million remain needlessly blind. This preventable blindness affects quality of life, increases mortality, and affects family income and poverty levels.
9. Carefully review the 2009-2010 Chapter Manual and discuss details in each module that you feel will be helpful when you volunteer with your chapter of Unite For Sight. Please clearly label each of your responses with the module number. For example, "MODULE 1: ....", "MODULE 2: ...." Importance of this manual: The Chapter Manual contains all important logistical details, policies,and procedures for Unite For Sight chapters. It is important for you to be familiar with all of the details included in this manual.
10. Please watch the 5-minute Fundraising Toolkit Video and discuss details that you feel will be helpful to your chapter fundraising activities. For additional details and sample fundraising emails and messages, please review the Chapter Fundraising Toolkit. Importance of this toolkit: All Community Fellows are involved with chapter fundraising. This toolkit provides comprehensive details and guidance for fundraising. Each chapter is required to fundraise both with their online fundraising page and through on-campus fundraising activities.
11. Please view the Eye Health Video For Teachers. Unite For Sight Community Fellows will implement a new program during the 2009-2010 academic year to educate school teachers and administrators about the importance of regular eye exams by eye doctors for their students. It is important that you utilize the information in this 10-minute video to encourage school staff and administrators to ensure that their K-12 students receive regular eye exams by eye doctors. Importance of this video:You will apply the information in this video to empower schools to eliminate preventable blindness among their students.

Declaration

By typing my name below, I certify that all information in my application is complete, factually true, honestly presented, and my own work.

I understand that in order to become a Unite For Sight Community Fellow, I am required to sign a Volunteer Code of Conduct, complete an online eye health course, view a 7-minute training video, submit a $20 donation at the time that the application is submitted, complete a short 5-10 minute phone interview, and actively participate in the Unite For Sight chapter.

I understand that I will pay a $20 donation that will help to fund eye care in developing countries. The $20 donation is equivalent to a $1.66 donation per month to provide eye care to patients living in extreme poverty. When I click submit, I will be directed to a website where I can submit the donation.

I understand that Unite For Sight staff will read my application to ensure that I have reviewed the required readings and videos, and my application will be rejected if my responses do not indicate my understanding of the training material.

I have read and accept the above declarations.

*Name (Signature):
*Date: