Student Groups
Vanderbilt University has a broad range of student organizations that provide the opportunity to participate in service activities related to global health.
- Vanderbilt China Care
- A chapter of the national China Care Foundation, an organization dedicated to the support of underprivileged Chinese orphans. The mission for the foundation is to provide aid for the orphans in China who don’t receive proper care and have slim chances for adoption and/or survival. The Vanderbilt chapter concentrates on their medical relief and on securing needed supplies. They are currently fundraising to pay for surgeries ranging from cleft pallets to spina bifida.
- Inter-American Health Alliance
- The Inter-American Health Alliance is a volunteer-run 501(c)3 charitable organization that supports community health organizations working with marginalized populations in the western highlands of Guatemala. They provide financial, technical and organizational support to partnering organizations. They work to improve access to health care and health education through the development of innovative collaborations between governmental, non-governmental, and educational institutions.
- Vanderbilt Students for Kenya
- Seeks to raise awareness about global health and economic issues affecting Lwala, a remote village in western Kenya, and to broaden the perspective of the Vanderbilt and Nashville community. Their major event, the Lwala Benefit, is in the spring and all proceeds go toward the Lwala Community Clinic founded by Milton Ochieng here at Vanderbilt Medical School. Other events are focused on HIV/AIDS and Africa Awareness.
- Manna Project International
- Manna Project International's vision is to establish a global network of Manna Project communities where young adults live and work alongside one another in underserved communities to initiate positive change.
- The Kampala Project
- Global service program where students work for 4 weeks in medical clinics, schools, and orphanages in Kampala, Uganda.
- Unite for Sight
- Unite For Sight is a non-profit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness. More than 4,000 volunteers work in ninety chapters established at universities, medical schools, corporations, high schools, and in communities throughout the world. Additionally, volunteer teams are sent to 25 countries to provide eye care and eye health education programs to medically underserved communities.
- International Health Committee
- The International Health Committee is a student-driven organization in the School of Medicine, but a main strength is the significant involvement of Vanderbilt faculty with interest, experience, and connections in the realm of international health.
