Vision To Learn

A Prescription For Success

Uncorrected vision is a serious problem affecting as many as 20,000 children in Iowa.

A disproportionate number of these children are minorities and come from low-income families.

Barriers like access and cost prevent families from getting children the vision care they need. Launched locally with Community Foundation support, Vision To Learn is a nonprofit that breaks down those barriers by bringing a mobile clinic to schools and providing eye exams and glasses at no cost to schools or families.

How It Works

As much as 80% of a child’s learning in the first 12 years is obtained visually. Children with poor vision struggle to see the words in a book or the lessons on a classroom board, which impedes their ability to keep up in class.

After an initial screening of K-12 students, the Vision To Learn mobile clinic visits the school and a licensed optometrist provides eye exams to students who need further attention. That same day, students who are prescribed glasses choose from a wide slection of fashionable frames.

Approximately two weeks later, Vision To Learn’s optician returns to school to distribute glasses. Each student is fitted with their new frames and lenses and instructed on care and cleaning. Some students receive two pairs, one for home and one that stays at school to ensure they’re always available when it’s time to learn.

Our Unique Role

In 2016, the Community Foundation partnered with Vision To Learn to pilot a mobile clinic. The pilot program included eight Title I schools—five in Dubuque and three in Jackson County. Since then, the mobile clinic has visited schools in all seven counties in the Dubuque region, providing 2,500 eye exams and giving glasses to 2,000 children. It also has expanded across Iowa, providing more than 8,000 exams and 7,000 pairs of glasses.

Today, many Community Foundation affiliates have partnerships with local donors to support a continued relationship with Vision To Learn, providing students the vision care they need to succeed in school and in life.

Our Accomplishments