The Duke Endowment supports better eyesight for students in need

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Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation receives $200,000 to participate in Vision to Learn program

Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation received a $200,000 grant from The Duke Endowment to engage Vision To Learn, a national nonprofit organization that operates mobile vision clinics to provide free screenings, eye exams and glasses to economically disadvantaged students.

NHPMC Foundation serves as a fiduciary agent for the grant, which provides $40,000 this year and $160,000 incrementally until 2024 to serve students throughout Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS).

Vision To Learn reports that about one in five children needs glasses to see the board, read a book or participate in class. About 95 percent of children who attend school in low-income communities do not have the glasses they need. Students with uncorrected vision problems often avoid reading, suffer headaches and experience difficulty focusing in class. Students not proficient in reading by the end of third grade are more likely to drop out of school.

Vision To Learn partners with the school district and provides a program that begins with vision screenings for all students in the school. After the initial evaluation, Vision To Learn coordinates with schools to schedule one or more visits by the mobile vision clinic staff. Students who require glasses can choose frames onboard the mobile vision clinic. Approximately two weeks after exam day, Vision To Learn’s optician returns to the school to deliver new glasses, provide individual glasses fittings and educate students on proper care and cleaning.

To learn more about the programs, please visit: https://visiontolearn.org/ and https://dukeendowment.org/.