Mayor Betsy Price and FWISD Superintendent Kent P. Scribner joined representatives from the Essilor Vision Foundation, Alcon and TCC-Trinity River to reinforce the connection between vision care and literacy.
During the program, fourth- and fifth-grade children created cards explaining why they love their glasses and why vision is important to them. Following the program, Scribner and Price toured the fest, interacted with children and took eye exams.
Elementary school nurses recently gave vision pre-screenings to kindergarten through fifth-grade students. More than 600 children from 32 FWISD elementary schools requiring further evaluation were invited to attend Kids Vision Fest, a mobile vision clinic. About 400 students are eligible for free vision screenings and eyeglasses. If it was determined that a child needed glasses, they could choose eyeglass frames and lens onsite, and the prescription glasses will be delivered to the student’s school within the next several weeks.
Kid Vision Fest is sponsored by Essilor Vision Foundation and Alcon in partnership with Fort Worth ISD. Dallas-based Essilor Vision Foundation launched its program Kids Vision for Life in 2008 to increase access to vision screenings and new glasses for children. Within the last decade, Tarrant County youth have received free onsite eye exams at nearly 100 schools and thousands of pairs of free prescription glasses.
