Kristof Holiday Impact Prize
Every year since 2009, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times Columnist Nicholas Kristof has written a “holiday gift guide” column to support organizations doing exceptional work that makes the world a better place. The Kristof Holiday Impact Prize connects readers interested in philanthropic giving to causes worthy of their support.
Vision To Learn is honored to be a 2022 Holiday Impact Prize honoree. Funds raised from this award will help tens of thousands more students get the vision screenings, eye exams and glasses they need to succeed in school, and in life.
More can be learned about the Holiday Impact Prize here »
U.S. Senate Resolution 222
The U.S. Senate honored Vision To Learn with a resolution, authored by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA). The Senate recognized Vision To Learn as a national leader in improving access to eyeglasses for students in low-income communities and in helping students succeed in school. There were 43 additional co-sponsors on the resolution, which was approved unanimously on May 23, 2019.
“Vision To Learn’s program demonstrates every day that the problem of students who lack needed glasses is serious, sweeping—and solvable,” said Senator Chris Coons. “In Delaware, and across the nation, Vision To Learn’s mobile clinics travel to schools and help thousands of kids who would otherwise go without.”
Senator Joni Ernst added, “As one of the most rural states in the nation, many Iowans have limited access to eye care, with the nearest optometrist being as far as 50 miles away for some families. That’s why I’m so appreciative of the tremendous success of Vision To Learn in providing our children greater access to eye care by bringing eye exams directly to our local schools. I’m proud to join my Democratic colleague Senator Chris Coons of Delaware in putting forward our bipartisan resolution to recognize and celebrate Vision To Learn’s success.”
The unanimously passed resolution can be viewed here »
White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics
In September 2015 Vision To Learn was recognized by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics as one of its 2015 “Bright Spots In Hispanic Education.” This initiative highlights programs that “help ensure the educational attainment for the Hispanic community, from cradle-to-career.” The announcement was made by Alejandra Ceja, Executive Director of the Initiative, on September 15, 2015, at the launch of Hispanic Heritage Month and in honor of the Initiative’s 25th anniversary in Washington, D.C.
“There has been notable progress in Hispanic educational achievement, and it is due to the efforts of these Bright Spots in Hispanic Education, programs and organizations working throughout the country to help Hispanic students reach their full potential,” said Alejandra Ceja.
Vision To Learn was recognized for its work delivering quality vision care to over twenty thousand Latino/Hispanic students in low-income neighborhoods. By providing high-quality eye exams and glasses to students in need, Vision To Learn helps ensure they come to school ready to learn. Along with other recognized “Bright Spots,” Vision To Learn will be listed in an online searchable database, which may be accessed here.
Campaign For Grade-Level Reading “Pacesetter Program”
In June 2014, Vision To Learn was recognized as a Pacesetter Program by The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, reflecting Vision To Learn’s “contribution to improving academic achievement and, with that, life prospects for young children in California.” Ralph Smith, Managing Director of The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, said, “Because of Vision To Learn, the prospects for these children, like the words they now see on the page, are clearer and brighter. And the Beutner Family Foundation has offered a model that can inspire funders and communities across the nation to tackle and solve an eminently solvable problem.”
The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading “is a collaborative effort by foundations, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states and communities across the nation to ensure that more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career, and active citizenship. The Campaign focuses on an important predictor of school success and high school graduation—grade-level reading by the end of third grade.” Vision To Learn is focused on improving third-grade reading proficiency through better access to vision care, understanding that without the benefit of corrected vision, reading is an especially difficult task for young children. Read more here.
California Teachers Association “State Gold Award” 2013
In 2013 Vision To Learn was the recipient of the CTA State Gold Award. This award “may be bestowed upon any person or organization whose leadership, acts, and support have have had a positive statewide impact on public education in California.” Vision To Learn is a close partner with CTA and its member unions in the communities we serve. Teachers are often the first to notice that a child is having trouble seeing, and serve an important role reminding students to wear and care for their glasses. Vision To Learn is proud to have the support of CTA in our shared mission to ensure every child in California attends school ready to learn.
“The UCLA results confirm what our teachers have been telling us – kids need to see the board and read the words on a page to learn,” said CTA President Dean E. Vogel. “It’s nice to see real results that will help improve public education in California.”
