Free eye exams and glasses give these students vision to learn

Video Summary: If time is of the essence, stop the video at 4m:15s or 6m:15s.

Story

1. A new program called Vision for Baltimore provides eye exams and two pairs of glasses free of charge to every K-8 student in Baltimore City who needs them.
2. About 25 percent of students in Baltimore who need glasses do not have access to them due to their high cost and the high level of poverty in Baltimore.
   • More than 30 percent of children live below the poverty line in Baltimore; the national average is 22 percent.
3. City health department officials, a nonprofit organization called Vision to Learn, researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the eye wear retailer Warby Parker are working together to provide the exams, prescriptions, and fashionable glasses.
4. Researchers from John Hopkins report students improve academically after getting glasses.

Discussion questions

1. Essential question: How does poverty affect a child’s opportunity to learn?
2. Do you know someone who wears glasses who wouldn’t be able to perform everyday functions without them?
3. Whose responsibility is it to help children get access to proper health care? Explain your answer.
4. Besides improved academic learning, can you think of other long term benefits that providing glasses to those who need them may have on society?

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