The Long Beach Unified School District educates almost 80,000 Students throughout its 85 schools, making it the second largest school district in Los Angeles County and the third largest in the State of California.
Mayor Robert Garcia of Long Beach has been an ardent supporter of Vision To Learn since VTL first visited Edison Elementary in September 2014. A glasses-wearer himself, he understands the profound difference made in children’s young lives by a simple yet often overlooked tool: glasses.
Working with Mayor Garcia and Superintendent Chris Steinhauser, and benefiting from early local funding from UniHealth and California Resources Corporation, Vision To Learn worked with Long Beach Unified’s health services team to serve Long Beach students. Then in 2017, the Los Angeles Clippers Foundation announced a grant which enabled Vision To Learn to provide free eye exams and glasses to every student in need in LBUSD—amounting to assistance for approximately 7,000 students in grades K-12. Read the press release here.
“We are honored to continue this critical partnership and have the opportunity to provide much-needed vision care for thousands of students across our community,” said LA Clippers President Gillian Zucker. “By providing glasses to students in need, the LA Clippers Foundation hopes to create a better future for every child.”
The generous support of the Los Angeles Clippers Foundation, in addition to the already tremendous relationship in place with Long Beach leadership and other local stakeholders, creates a powerful example of what is possible when decision-makers come together to help children in need. This convergence of generosity and collaboration resulted in a meaningful impact on the lives of nearly 7,000 children, and can serve as a model for other like-minded communities throughout the nation. On the significance of this work, Mayor Garcia penned an op-ed, “Another View”, which can be read here.
This is a focus on the future.
