38 Dr. Ronald McNair Elementary Students Receive Glasses at Program Launch Event
Nearly 3,000 kids in the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) will get the glasses they need to succeed at school, thanks to the non-profit charity Vision To Learn and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. The effort launched today at Dr. Ronald E. McNair Elementary, where 38 students tried on their new glasses for the first time. In the coming school year, this effort will provide a free eye exam and glasses to every student in need, K-12, throughout CUSD.
An estimated 3,000 children in Compton go to school every day without the glasses they need to see the board, read a book, or participate in the classroom. The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is partnering with Vision To Learn on a new initiative providing free vision screenings, eye exams and glasses to students throughout CUSD.
“We are grateful for the support the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation has provided to Vision To Learn since we began our efforts six short years ago,” said Austin Beutner, Vision To Learn Founder. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation to make sure every child in Compton has the glasses they need to succeed in school and in life.”
“Our partnership with Vision To Learn is a natural fit. Vision problems keep children from reaching their full potential academically and in sports,” said Nichol Whiteman, Executive Director, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. “You can’t play baseball without a bat or a glove, and you can’t do your best at school without good vision. We are thrilled to continue to grow our partnership and help the students in Compton.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation has worked with Vision To Learn since it started in 2012. In addition to schools, Vision To Learn has provided vision screenings, eye exams and glasses to students at Dodgers RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) events and community organizations like Boys and Girls Clubs. The effort in Compton is the biggest effort to-date of this multi-year partnership. The Dodgers branded mobile vision clinic, featuring Justin Turner and Kenley Jansen, will be on display at the McNair Elementary event.
“I am so very excited and happy for those students who today are making a leap toward academic excellence by being provided the gift of simply seeing better,” said Compton Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Darin Brawley. “We are grateful for the generosity and mission of Vision To Learn and the Dodgers Foundation who helped make this possible for our great McNair students!”
“Our students are bright, talented and eager to learn, and it is imperative that we do anything within our capability to tear down barriers to academic achievement, including poor eyesight,” said Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees President, Micah Ali. “Partnerships with impact-creating organizations such as Vision To Learn and the Dodgers Foundation help create opportunities for our students and solidifies our valuable work in schools.”
Ronald E. McNair Elementary is the first school in Compton to be served by this effort. At McNair, 196 students were provided with vision screenings, 50 students were provided eye exams, and 38 were provided with glasses.
Research by faculty from the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA about students who received glasses from Vision To Learn showed the students’ grades improved and they were more engaged in the classroom. Students with untreated vision problems often struggle at school, and they are less likely to achieve reading proficiency by third grade, putting them at greater risk of dropping out.
Vision To Learn Founder Steps Into New Role as L.A. Unified Superintendent