Since 2012, the nonprofit EyeCare4Kids has provided free eye exams and corrective lenses to tens of thousands of CCSD students.
- Robert L. Taylor Elementary School.
- The nonprofit also has a mobile vision clinic, See-More, that travels to different Title I CCSD schools to extend its reach. This year, it visited 120 schools receiving Title I funding. The mobile vision clinic has provided eye exams to 60,000 students over a decade.
EyeCare4Kids’ services include a vision screening process with an autorefractor and a traditional vision screening chart. Once that is complete, the student sees the optometrist on site for a formal vision exam — and if eyeglasses are needed, the student selects them.
- CCSD incurs no costs from its contract with EyeCare4Kids, whose services help children who might not otherwise have access to vision care.
Why it matters: Stephanie Kirby, Southern Nevada executive director of EyeCare4Kids, said about one in four children will need corrective lenses: “The implications resulting from a lack of basic eyecare are tremendous.”
The big picture: “If a child cannot see what is being taught, a child will have difficulty learning.” said Sheri McPartlin, CCSD’s chief nurse. “So early identification of vision problems can be crucial to a child’s learning and academic achievement.”
What they’re saying: “Students are excited when the van comes to campus because they know they will see clearly again when their new glasses arrive, which helps them to be more successful in class,” said Erin Williams, a school nurse at H.P. Fitzgerald Elementary School.
- “They especially enjoy choosing the frames, and being told how great they look with their new glasses,” Williams said.
By the numbers: During the 2023-2024 school year, over 6,800 students received eye exams with more than 5,170 requiring eyeglasses.
