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Fy-Eye August 2020

Posted on August 10, 2020August 10, 2020

FY-Eye: August 2020

Children’s Vision Health Program

Each year, children begin their educational careers and need our support to ensure they have healthy vision to build a strong educational foundation for lifelong success. The Children’s Vision Health Program improves children’s access to vision care, makes healthy vision a priority in communities across Wisconsin, and improves the lives of children and families.

Statistics show 1 in 20 preschool-aged children and 1 in 4 school-aged children has a vision problem. Children who struggle to see often struggle to learn because 80% of most children’s learning happens visually. Fortunately, the majority of children’s vision problems are highly treatable, especially if these problems are caught and treated early. For many children with a vision problem, treatment is as simple as a pair of prescription glasses and has an incredible impact on their success in the classroom and beyond. Research has shown that just six weeks of vision correction can improve a child’s standardized test scores to match the scores of their peers who do not have vision problems.

The Impact We Make Together

In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, program partners, certified and supported by Prevent Blindness Wisconsin, reported providing free certified vision screenings for 165,199 children in Wisconsin. Of those children screened, 19,059 were referred for further vision care.

Our work is largely possible thanks to committed program partners who allow our staff of only 9 to serve the entire state. Prevent Blindness Wisconsin trained and certified 1,304 partners and volunteers as children’s vision screeners in 90 training sessions. Participants learned evidence-based and scientifically-validated vision screening protocol, common vision problems in children and their symptoms, referral criteria, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin’s recommended follow-up process, vision care resources available, and more.

To empower children to advocate for their vision health, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin provided vision health education directly to children in our community and equipped partners to provide on-site vision health education to the children they serve.

• Through the Your Amazing Eyes story time program, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin reached 3-5-year-old children at the Kenosha Public Library and at elementary schools in Racine County. The program, built upon the Six Skills for Early Literacy, teaches children about the sense of sight, how their eyes work, and increases their comfort and familiarity with glasses and other treatment methods through hands-on activities.

• Through our partnership with the Green Bay Area School District Head Start, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin reached some of the most vulnerable children in the state by providing 13 Vision and Eye Health Curriculum Kitswhich facilitate in-class vision health education. The curriculum helps improve a child’s understanding of vision and expands the impact of vision health education by encouraging children to share what they learned with their families.

• Parent and caregiver engagement is an essential component of our children’s vision health programs to both raise awareness of the importance of vision and regular vision care and ensure children receive vision care after a vision screening referral. Prevent Blindness Wisconsin provided many engagement opportunities through our vision health education programming and targeted some of our most vulnerable populations served to improve access to vision care. In order to educate parents on common eye problems, how to care for and protect a child’s sight, and perform basic eye first aid, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin presented Vision Health and Safety to over 100 parents at the Racine Unified School District Parent-Child Oriented Classroom.

• Because proper visual development is critical to ensuring a child has healthy vision for early learning and life, Vision Milestoneswas presented at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Early Childhood Conference. The first time Prevent Blindness Wisconsin had the opportunity to present at the conference, this allowed us to provide education on visual development and milestones, how to help children meet these milestones, how visual development varies in children with special needs or neurodevelopmental conditions and more.

• Prevent Blindness Wisconsin focused on developing new partnerships to facilitate program delivery, expand our reach, and improve our services to better meet the needs of Wisconsin’s children and families. To improve access to vision care for at-risk populations, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin formed new partnerships with the Angel of Hope Clinic and the Open Arms Free Clinic to incorporate our vision care voucher programs into their existing health services. Parents of home-schooled children who do not receive our services through traditional delivery methods were reached through a partnership with Home Instructions for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) and Prevent Blindness Wisconsin provided vision health education and vision screenings at their home-school resource fair. Prevent Blindness Wisconsin exhibited at the Urban School Professional Network Resource Fair for school counselors, social workers, and psychologists working in non-MPS public, private, parochial, and charter schools in the greater Milwaukee area and used this opportunity to form partnerships with three additional private schools.

Our Success: Meet Noelle

Prevent Blindness Wisconsin would like to introduce our 2020 Preschool Vision Screening Ambassador Noelle Cerveny. Noelle is a happy and fun-loving 5-year-old who always thinks of others.

Noelle had never exhibited any signs of a vision problem or said she was struggling to see until her mom mentioned Noelle’s upcoming preschool vision screening by Prevent Blindness Wisconsin community volunteers at her Lake Country preschool. That is when Noelle first told her mom that she “couldn’t see.” Indeed, Noelle did not pass her certified vision screening, and she was referred for a complete eye exam. Noelle’s mom, Holly, took her to the eye doctor where she was diagnosed with amblyopia (lazy eye) and hyperopia (farsightedness) and prescribed glasses.

Noelle’s diagnosis came as a shock to Noelle’s parents. Holly relates, “I never thought my daughter had vision problems because she never mentioned anything previously, and we didn’t notice that she had any trouble seeing. I didn’t need glasses until adulthood.” Fortunately, Holly is happy to report, “Noelle likes her glasses. They took a little getting used to. She wears them well and takes responsibility for putting them on each day in order to see better.”

Prevent Blindness Wisconsin is grateful for the continued support of our partners, volunteers, and friends throughout the state who help ensure children like Noelle can access the vision care they need to set them on a path for a lifetime of healthy vision.

Continue to support our expanded and enhanced children’s vision health programming as well as foster statewide community partnerships to provide improved access to vision care and vision health services to children by making a gift today!

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month!

Healthy vision is vital for a child’s mental, social, and physical development. Nationwide, one in four school-aged children and one in 20 preschoolers has a vision problem that if left untreated, may result in irreversible vision loss, hinder their academic performance and development, and affect their self-esteem and confidence. Your child needs healthy vision to bring their future into focus and you can help. Ensure your child has healthy vision through their regular well-child checkups and by taking them to the eye doctor after a vision screening referral, or if you notice any of the ABC’s of vision health!

ABC’s of Vision Health
The ABC’s of vision health are warning signs to watch for as a child grows and develops through their adolescence. If you notice any of the ABC’s, make an appointment with your child’s eye doctor.

A: Appearance: the look of the child’s eyes.
B: Behavior: how the child is behaving and reacting.
C: Complaints: what the child says about their eyes and vision.

Learn more about the ABC’s of vision health.

Web-Based Vision Screener Training

Children’s Vision Screener Training – Charts, Spot, PlusOptix WEB BASED
August 27, 2020
9:00 AM- 11:30 AM
Weblink Available After Registration
Register Here!
Audience: All Participants Welcome

Vision Care Resource – LensCrafters Care’s Program

LensCrafters Cares is an 8 week long collaboration between OneSight and LensCrafters to support communities during recovery from the Covid19 Pandemic by providing eye exams and glasses for our communities experiencing ﬁnancial hardship. Qualifying patients can receive glasses at any LensCrafters store during the 8 week program. Some locations are also providing eye exams. Appointments must be scheduled in advance.

Program Criteria:
– Family income is at or below 200% of poverty level
– Is not covered by Medicaid or any other vision insurance
– Has not received vision care assistance during the last 12 months

To see if you qualify for the program follow the link below and fill out the application.
https://onesight.org/LensCrafters-Cares

An email address is required to apply for the program. If you do not have an email our office can help with the application process. For help finding a location or for more information, please contact our office at 414-765-0505.

Swing for Sight Golf Outing – Monday, August 31

Last chance to join us for the Swing for Sight Golf Outing on Monday, August 31, 2020! Confirm your foursome by August 21 by contacting Bridget at [email protected] or on theevent website.

We are excited to be able to hold our only in-person event and are incorporating many safety precautions, working closely with the Ozaukee Country Club and the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department to ensure a fun and safe event.
– Keeping the entire event outside
– Volunteers and OCC staff will be wearing masks
– Boxed lunch
– Reception outside
View our full list of safety guidelines here.

Can’t join us on the 31st? Showcase your support of healthy vision by joining our partners in sponsoring a tee and/or green. Tee sponsorships start at $300. Easily purchase your sponsorship on the event website or contact Rebecca at [email protected] to confirm your sponsorship.

Ellie’s Walk – Saturday, September 19

Ellie Walk-Prevent Blindness-web banner-1200x300

Support Prevent Blindness Wisconsin VIRTUALLY on Saturday, September 19 for Ellie’s Walk benefiting children’s healthy vision. This peer-to-peer fundraising event encourages you, your family, and friends to get outside and support our statewide sight-saving services.

Participating is easy and FREE! https://preventblindness.donordrive.com/event/ellieswalk

1. Register yourself and start or join a team. (*Register as a Virtual Participant & T-shirt to receive an event t-shirt for $15)
2. Set a fundraising goal.
3. Personalize your fundraising page with a picture and your story and why Prevent Blindness Wisconsin is important to you.
4. Share your page with friends, family, colleagues, and more to make healthy vision possible for children and adults throughout Wisconsin!
5. Collect badges as you hit fundraising milestones!

Join us on Saturday, September 19 at 10 AM on Facebook and YouTube to see how your support impacts children and adults throughout the state by helping them receive the vision care they need and deserve for school success and for a lifetime!

Visit our event website for more information or to make a donation.

Sponsorship opportunities are available! See our full sponsorship menu here. To confirm your sponsorship or for additional information please contact Bridget at[email protected].

Celebrity Waiters Dinner – Wednesday, October 14

We are bringing the Celebrity Waiters Dinner to YOU! Join us VIRTUALLY for the 40th Annual Celebrity Waiters Dinner – A Night In on Wednesday, October 14. View the live one-hour long broadcast from wherever you are and participate in the silent auction, live auction, paddle raise and more! You won’t want to miss this unique event!

Grants Galore!

Prevent Blindness Wisconsin is proud and honored to announce it has been awarded grants from the Catholic Community Foundation, the Eau Claire Community Foundation, and the Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation to support our sight-saving services.

Thank you Catholic Community Foundation for supporting the Star Pupils – Milwaukee Catholic program which brings the future into focus for children in Milwaukee Archdiocese Schools each year. Through vision screening, training and certification, vision health education, resources, and ongoing support, Star Pupils – Milwaukee Catholic improves children’s access to vision care and makes healthy vision a priority in communities in the Greater Milwaukee Area.

Thank you Eau Claire Community Foundation for supporting the Children’s Vision Screening Program – Eau Claire County, which brings the future into focus for more than 4,000 Eau Claire County children each year, through certified vision screening, referral, follow-up support, vision health education, improved access to vision care, and more.

Thank you Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation for supporting the Children’s Vision Screening Program which provides preventative vision health services to more than 260,000 children across the state and ensures children have healthy vision to build a strong educational foundation for lifelong success.

Prevent Blindness Wisconsin’s sight-saving programs would not be possible without the generous support of local funders. Thank you again for helping make healthy vision possible for children across Wisconsin.

Prevent Blindness Wisconsin Apparel

‘You can’t learn if you can’t see the board’ tshirts, long sleeves, and bags are in stock with our new logo! Youth, ladies, and unisex sizes are available. Order yours today! Proceeds benefit our state-wide sight saving services.

Co-branding opportunities are now available. Learn how you can personalize your order with your school, club, or company’s logo by contacting [email protected]. (Minimum order of 12 is required).

Our Mission: Founded in 1958, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin improves the lives of children, adults and families through early detection of eye conditions to prevent blindness and preserve sight. On-going vision screening activities and state-wide public health education lead to a lifetime of healthy vision.

Our Vision: Our vision is for each Wisconsin resident to have healthy vision at every stage of life.

wisconsin.preventblindnss.org

[email protected]