BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—Last week, Advanced Center for Eyecare (ACE) and Bakersfield City School District, in partnership with OneSight, opened its first system of school-based vision centers in California presented by Oakley. ACE will be providing comprehensive eye exams as well as the prescribing and dispensing of glasses at the South Chester Partnership, 4th Street Wellness Center and Center Street Wellness Center, according to an announcement from OneSight.

The launch of the school-based vision center project here is the culmination of a longstanding partnership between OneSight, the nonprofit founded by Luxottica Group, and ACE. Since 2012, OneSight has hosted an annual vision care clinic to provide eye exams and glasses to Bakersfield students, serving more than 3,600 students over the course of five years.

The evolution of this partnership has led to the creation of these permanent school-based vision centers that will provide students with year-round access to vision care. The vision centers are sponsored by Foothill Ranch, Calif.–based Oakley.

The purpose of each center is to keep students in school, healthy and ready to learn. Students will receive quality vision care services during the school day, without requiring parents to leave work and potentially lose wages.

“We know that vision goes hand in hand with learning yet there are still one in four students in the U.S. with an undiagnosed vision correction problem,” said Mony Iyer, OneSight’s executive director. “That is why OneSight’s sustainable solution in the U.S. focuses on students. As the school-based health care trend continues, OneSight is uniquely positioned to support vision care in schools to students across the U.S.”

The goal of the partnership is to provide access to all 31,000 students in Bakersfield City Schools over the course of the next two years. The school-based health centers, which currently provide medical, behavioral and dental care, will be adding vision care services to create a fully integrated health care clinic, one of the first of its kind in California.

“We have seen many cases where a pair of glasses has made the difference in helping a child succeed in school or enabling a parent to find meaningful work to support their family,” said Justin Cave, CEO of Advanced Center for Eyecare.

OneSight, an independent global nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded and sponsored, in part by Luxottica, is dedicated to providing sustainable access to a comprehensive eye exam and quality eyewear to those in need around the world.

Advanced Center for Eyecare is a Kern County 501©3 nonprofit organization that provides medical and surgical eyecare services to the uninsured and underinsured population through local volunteer eye surgeons who restore sight and prevent blindness.