On October 21, Dunleith Elementary School in Marietta welcomed a special ceremony as Vision To Learn, a nonprofit that brings mobile eye‑care clinics to schools, partnered with UnitedHealthcare Vision to hand out free prescription glasses to 30 students from kindergarten through fifth grade.
Local families see immediate impact
Students chose frames, received their lenses and opened their new glasses cases together, creating a lively, supportive atmosphere. “Some of the kids actually saying to me, ‘I can finally see’ or ‘I didn’t realize it could be this clear’ was a really touching moment,” said Greg Ott, UnitedHealthcare’s vice president for Georgia and Alabama.
Beyond the obvious improvement in vision, the event gave children a confidence boost. Ott observed that nervous students grew more self‑assured as the ceremony progressed, noting, “You could just tell the energy of all the students in that room by the end of the event; it completely changed from when they first walked in.”
Why vision matters for learning
Untreated vision problems can hinder a child’s ability to read the board, complete assignments and fully engage with peers. Ott highlighted the importance of early intervention, stating, “It’s one thing to give a kindergartner the ability to see the book and the board more clearly; it’s another to support a fifth‑grader who’s preparing for high school.”
Vision To Learn, founded in 2012, operates mobile clinics that eliminate transportation and financial barriers, bringing eye exams and glasses directly to school campuses. Nationwide the organization has provided nearly four million vision screenings, over 830,000 eye exams and almost 700,000 pairs of glasses to children in 20 states and Washington, D.C., with roughly 90 % of those children living in poverty.
Community partnership expands reach
The collaboration between Vision To Learn and UnitedHealthcare began five to six years ago, driven by a shared commitment to expand access to care for families facing financial hardship. Ott recalled a recent case of a high‑school student in the Atlanta area who had been using his father’s old glasses, believing they would work. After a proper exam through Vision To Learn, the student received correctly prescribed lenses and could finally read his textbooks without strain.
Ott encouraged local families and community members to support similar initiatives, emphasizing that “healthcare is delivered locally” and each community faces unique challenges. He expressed optimism that the program could expand to additional schools throughout the metro Atlanta region in the coming years.
Looking ahead
The event at Dunleith marks the first step in a goal to provide glasses to 137 students at the school this academic year through free screenings, exams and corrective lenses. By addressing vision needs early, the program aims to improve academic performance, bolster self‑esteem and help children pursue their dreams with clearer sight.
As Ott summed up, “It becomes increasingly more difficult to chase your dreams when you can’t even see them.” The free‑glasses initiative stands as a tangible example of how local partnerships can lift families, strengthen schools and give children the visual tools they need to succeed.
Original reporting: SaportaReport — read the source article.
