When a group of high school students approached us to volunteer in fall of 2020, we were excited and inspired by their interest in making a difference! Today we would like to share the accomplishments of the club members as volunteers and show how any person can make a difference.

About TCHS Pre-Med

Timber Creek High School (TCHS) Pre-Med is a club that describes themselves as “Shaping and inspiring the doctors of tomorrow.” Club members are interested in going into the medical field, and they offer many related volunteering opportunities. They first learned about Turner Syndrome Foundation through VolunteerMatch where we frequently post volunteer opportunities.

Club member Justin shared, “We decided to volunteer with TSF because we are passionate about Turner Syndrome. We hope that us making social media graphics will help spread awareness about Turner Syndrome to society as a whole. This may be a little change, but it will create an impact that will potentially change the world. “

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The Volunteer Project

When deciding on a project for the students, we had many different factors to consider.

Firstly, they are located in Florida which is nowhere near our office, plus with the restrictions of COVID-19, we had to find something for them to do from home. Second, with students from grades 9-12 we needed to ensure that every student was finding value in their experience and that the activities were age-appropriate. Third, we wanted the students to not only learn something that could be helpful to them in their future as a health care provider, but also know that their volunteerism made an impact on the TS community.

We ultimately decided to take the students on a volunteer journey that would consist of three phases:

1. The students learned about Turner Syndrome by reading information on our website and viewing videos on our YouTube page. Then, they wrote a one-page essay about what they learned and what they found most surprising or interesting about TS. *Quotes*
2. Then, with their new knowledge they were tasked with creating something that would help share the word about Turner Syndrome. Their creativity was amazing and we are excited to share them with you as tools for awareness! You can see what they made below.
3. Finally, we asked them to take action by signing our Petition for Patient Care and sharing it with others. Signing a petition is a great way that anyone, anywhere, of any age or connection to TS can make a difference!

Each phase of this project made an impact because a whole group of young people was able to learn about Turner Syndrome and then share their knowledge with others. The students also earned credits required for their club membership.

Student Takeaways

The students had some excellent insight to share after they first learned about Turner Syndrome.

One student said, “Turner Syndrome is the second most abundant genetic disorder, which gives reason to why it is so important to learn and spread awareness about this chronic condition. As I watched a video with a patient with Turner Syndrome, it surprised me how calm she was when she found out she had been diagnosed. This shows how strong women with Turner Syndrome are and why we should continue to educate our community about this condition.”

Another student’s takeaway was “I learned that it is very important to identify the signs of Turner Syndrome at an early age to prevent further complications that can add on to this Syndrome. With the help of Turner Syndrome being advocated for and educating  people about it, females with this disorder will be able to live their lives more at ease.”

The students displayed excellent initiative to immerse themselves in learning about TS. They were able to gain a better understanding of the lived experience of individuals with TS. This goes to show that awareness can have a major impact on moving this cause forward!

Student-Created Awareness Materials

YOU Can Also Make a Difference

This was an extremely impactful volunteer experience for the club members, but also on our TS community. We invite groups to sign-up to volunteer with us and we will work with you to create a meaningful volunteer experience. All groups are welcome, like high school clubs, Scouts troops, women’s clubs, and more! Additionally, even if you aren’t in a club, you can still volunteer with us! You can volunteer as an individual or we may be able to assign you to a group to volunteer with. We have plenty of virtual opportunities for everyone!