Bay Area: San Francisco & Oakland
Vision To Learn launched in the Bay Area April 28, 2014, in Oakland Unified’s Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary. Since then Vision To Learn has added school districts large and small including San Francisco Unified, New Haven Unified, San Leandro Unified, Sunnyvale, Hayward, and Oak Grove Unified School District.
Vision To Learn is supported in the Bay Area by a multi-year grant from the Warriors Community Foundation. Vision To Learn’s Bay Area Warriors clinic helps thousands of students throughout the region annually.
In 2017, Vision To Learn received a generous grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, allowing its Northern California operation to grow to serve students throughout the nine-county Bay Area and Sacramento.
An estimated 50,000 students need glasses in the 9-county Bay Area.
![Former Attorney General, now Senator Kamala Harris helps a student from Franklin Elementary School try on new glasses at Vision To Learn’s launch in Oakland, May 2014.](https://visiontolearn.org/wp-content/uploads/Kamala-Harris-helps-student-with-glasses.jpg)
Santa Clara County/San Jose
Vision To Learn launched in San Jose Unified’s Galarza Elementary May 28, 2014. After adding school districts throughout Santa Clara County, including Alum Rock, Sunnyvale School District, and Campbell Union Elementary, in 2016 Vision To Learn dedicated a vehicle to serve this area year-round.
Vision To Learn’s work in Santa Clara County is supported by several generous sponsors. Kaiser Permanente South Bay has funded eye exams and glasses in San Jose school districts for three years. Chan Zuckerberg Union Elementary Initiative has funded capacity growth, allowing Vision To Learn to serve many more kids in the area. El Camino Hospital and El Camino Healthcare District have funded Vision To Learn’s services in Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara.
Beginning in 2016, the Sharks Foundation became an official sponsor of Vision To Learn in Santa Clara County. Sharks players Joel Ward and Chris Tierney attended a glasses-dispensing event at Selma Olinder Elementary school in San Jose, and S.J. Sharkie has appeared twice at schools — most recently to help unveil a new Sharks mobile clinic.
Almost 25,000 children in Santa Clara County need glasses.
![San Jose Sharks mascot S.J. Sharkie with some children who received glasses at Hubbard Media Arts Academy in San Jose, October 2017.](https://visiontolearn.org/wp-content/uploads/NoCal-San-Jose-Sharks-mascot-with-kids.jpg)
Sacramento
Vision To Learn’s program in Sacramento County began service at Elk Grove Unified’s David Reese Elementary on March 13, 2013. Today Vision To Learn serves school districts throughout the county, including Sacramento City Unified, Natomas Unified, and Robla Unified School District. Governor Jerry Brown attended a dispensing event at Natomas Unified’s Jefferson Elementary November 19, 2013. After touring the Vision To Learn mobile clinic, Governor Brown said, “I certainly did not even realize that there are so many kids who are not getting glasses.”
In 2017 the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative awarded a generous grant, allowing Vision To Learn to help many more children in the area, with a dedicated Sacramento mobile clinic.
Over 10,000 students in Sacramento County need glasses.
Northern California Supporters
The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation
California Health & Wellness
California State Society for Opticians
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
El Camino Healthcare District
El Camino Hospital
Golden State Warriors
Kaiser Permanente
Oakland A’s
San Jose Sharks Foundation
Contact
Akilah Watkins
Program Manager, Northern California
+1 (510) 274-5721
NorCal@visiontolearn.org