Grand Rapids Public Schools Thursday morning announced a new partnership with non-profit ‘Vision to Learn’ that will provide free eye-exams and prescription glasses to students. One by one, 22 students at Aberdeen PK-8th school tried on their new prescription eyeglasses as Grand Rapids Public Schools celebrated a new partnership with Los Angeles based Vision To Learn, and the Kent County Health Department. The students were the first recipients of the partnership which provides a vision screening, eye exams, and if a needed, a pair of glasses, free of charge.
According to the district, “An estimated 300 children in Grand Rapids go to school every day without the ability to see the board, read a book or participate in class,” and according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, often, despite average intelligence, children who lack proper eyewear become academic failures, school dropouts or are incorrectly deemed as learning disabled.
Watching the kid’s reaction’s to their new glasses brought Grand Rapids Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal to tears.
“You know I am such a crybaby, and so to even think that there is even a barrier for children, and to have this blessing for children for kids that will struggle," Weatherall Neal said. "We take so much for granted, in something as small as glasses. I am grateful to the partners; to recognize that it is more than just come to school and learn. There are barriers for children.”
Data shows that the gift of glasses creates positive results. According to the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, students who received glasses from Vision to Learn earned better grades and were more engaged in the classroom.
