Chapter Creation

As you create your chapter, it is important to consider which program you feel most passionate about. For example, if you are hoping to focus your Chapter on access to healthcare and plan a Medical Brigade, you should start a Medical Chapter.

Global Brigades facilitates the participation of volunteers in sustainable development through brigades either in person or virtually in countries in Central America, West Africa and Southeast Europe addressing needs in health and economic development. Each program has been developed in conjunction with community members and students to empower community members and leaders while engaging students to deliver high-impact solutions. Through fundraising and participation on brigades, volunteers are able to support the implementation of Global Brigades’ Holistic Model.

SELECT A BRIGADE PROGRAM BELOW TO LEARN MORE:

Medical

Dental

Public Health

Water

Engineering

Business

Legal Empowerment

 

Whether you have one chapter on your campus or several chapters, it is important to set your chapter(s) up for success by understanding the foundations of what make a chapter successful: their leadership team(s). 

Leadership Team Structures
We highly encourage each campus to build their leadership teams in a way that is best suited for their unique campus or circumstances. Check out our Chapter Leadership Structures Guide to learn more about what makes a strong leadership team, what structures and roles are ideal, and how to ensure leadership team accountability. 

Featured Leadership Opportunity: Campus Chairperson

In 2011, Global Brigades created the Campus Chairperson position in order to build a global movement of students that represent and embody the Global Brigades mission, vision, values and holistic programming on each of their respective university campuses. There are currently more than 100 CCs around the world! Campus Chairpersons (CCs) are responsible for representing the Holistic Model on their campus by overseeing and unifying active chapters on their campus and actively working to grow the movement by identifying and cultivating new chapter leaders in their region to establish chapters on campus. Click here to learn more!

Chapter Transparency
A constitution is a basic set of rules for the daily running of your chapter. Your Constitution should establish your club/society’s name, state and support its mission/purpose, and set policy and procedures related to your members, officers, meetings, elections, and other functions that may be unique to your club/society. It is important that chapters’ policies are made transparent to chapter leaders and members. Constitutions can explain to members and non-members what your group is about, provide guidelines for the daily running of the chapter, and are great at helping solve any internal problems, as they act as an unbiased/objective document. Constitutions are also sometimes required by universities in order to become an official club/society on campus. Feel free to reference a Sample Chapter Constitution and create your own! 

Leadership Transitions
Your final task as a GB  student leader (and arguably one of the most important) is to ensure the sustainability of your chapter(s) after you leave. But what does this mean? We want to work with you to ensure that your legacy on campus lives on and that your chapter(s) continue to send successful brigades and make impact for many years to come! The most important next step is taking the time to thoroughly transition your leadership role to a new leader, and prepare them with all of the wisdom and knowledge you’ve gained in your position. Use our very detailed Chapter Leader Transition Packet or make your own that’s more suited to your exact campus leadership structure.