Eyeglasses are a basic need for children, one that is often overlooked. According to the American Optometric Association, one in four children in the United States has vision problems, yet most first grade students who need glasses do not have them.

That is where Vision To Learn comes in. As the nation’s largest provider of school-based vision care services, Vision To Learn’s mission is to provide vision screenings, eye exams, prescription eyeglasses, and follow-up care to children in low-income communities, at no cost to the child or their family.

For nearly three decades, the AMETEK Foundation has supported Vision To Learn and their partner organization, the Eagles Charitable Foundation, to help improve students’ vision in the Philadelphia area. This funding provides 1,000 eye exams and 850 pairs of glasses to students each year.

In addition to support from the AMETEK Foundation, AMETEK Reichert Technologies also contributed to Vision To Learn’s mission by donating necessary high-quality diagnostic instrumentation for eye exams. The Reichert Phoroptor® refracting instruments that Vision To Learn uses on its eye mobile clinics nationwide are changing lives. AMETEK Reichert Technologies, whose mission is to be a global leader in providing sophisticated medical devices that advance eye care, continues to provide additional instrumentation to equip the growing fleet of mobile clinics.

“More than 3 million children across the country go to school every day without the glasses they need,” said Vision To Learn Founder Austin Beutner. “Every child in every school, everywhere in the country, should have the glasses they need to succeed in school and in life. The AMETEK Foundation’s support is helping to ensure more children in Philadelphia get the help they need.”

When children put on their eyeglasses for the first time after years of not being able to see clearly, it is transformative. It increases their self-confidence and gives them the tools they need to succeed. Academically, it improves learning, classroom behavior, and overall public education. A pair of new eyeglasses allows students to reach their fullest potential.

It isn’t hard to see just how transformative Vision To Learn’s mission can be for an entire community.