Us, Free Exams and Free Eyewear to Low-Income Children

More than 53,000 kids across the country will do better in school this year thanks to Sight for Students. This VSP (Vision Service Plan) sponsored charity program provides free exams and free eyewear to children from kindergarten through high school.

VSP donated more than $10 million to Sight for Students in 2002. VSP's total contribution since the program's inception in 1997 now totals nearly $29 million.

"Sight for Students makes a significant difference for so many children who often lack access to many of the tools they need to be successful," said Roger Valine, President and CEO of VSP. "Proper vision care helps improve a child's academic and athletic performance and can also enhance their self-esteem."

Sight for Students partners with community organizations such as Head Start, Prevent Blindness America and the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) to identify qualified low-income, uninsured children with potential vision problems. Those children are then issued a gift certificate to redeem at a VSP network doctor for a free comprehensive eye exam and eyeglasses if prescribed.