LAKE ELSINORE, CA — "If students can’t see, they can’t read, and reading is fundamental to student success,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez.

To that end, the Lake Elsinore Unified School District was one of 12 districts countywide in which students received free vision screenings, eye exams and glasses to start the school year thanks to a partnership between the Riverside County Office of Education and nonprofit Vision To Learn.

Lake Elsinore Unified School District campus nurse Beth Marler said Vision To Learn has been "an amazing resource to our community by providing services to our vulnerable populations. Our students with vision problems are not just being found, but receiving care and corrective lenses, they otherwise wouldn’t have access to. We have been so grateful for the opportunity to participate in this program."

In addition to the LEUSD, the following districts are benefitting from the RCOE-Vision To Learn partnership this year:

Better concentration, the ability to see from the back of the room, and increased confidence in their reading skills are just a few of the benefits that 6,273 students in the 12 districts have enjoyed to start the 2022-2023 school year thanks to a new pair of glasses provided as part of the program.

During the 2021-2022 school year, the RCOE-Vision To Learn partnership was launched. The RCOE reported that over the course of that school year, 25,217 students received initial vision screenings at schools from 12 districts; 8,727 students failed the initial vision screening in their classroom; 7,869 students consented to a free, on-site eye exam; 6,273 students selected frames and received free prescription glasses.

“We are thankful for the coordinated efforts from the Vision To Learn team and the 12 districts that have continued to bring a collaborative focus to a very real need for thousands of students,” Gomez said.

According to its bio, Vision To Learn started with one van in Los Angeles in 2012. Since then, it has helped kids in underserved communities at over 12,000 schools and community organizations in 14 states. Vision To Learn serves the needs of the hardest-to-reach children; about 90% of kids served by Vision To Learn live in poverty and about 85% are kids of color. To learn more, visit www.visiontolearn.org.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.